“To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:33
A teacher of the law came up to Jesus to ask Him what the most important law was. After Jesus answered him, the man agreed that loving God and all neighbors were the more important than any sacrifice that can be made.
People always want to know what they can and cannot do. They want to know the boundaries. Most want to know, so that they can know how close they can get to the edge without being in trouble. It is commonly thought that only children are great at getting close to the edge of trouble without stepping into it, but adults do it all the time.
Instead of focusing on a bunch of rules, Jesus summed up all the commands of God into two rules: love God, and love others. It is that simple–to love everyone.
Now comes the question: what does it mean to love?
The first place to answer that is found in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
Love means that you will do whatever it takes to not hurt the other person.
Love means you will serve the other person as much as possible.
Love means you will obey God in whatever He tells you to do.
Love means you trust God in whatever He says or does or does not say or do.
Love means you will be full of grace and mercy towards others.
Love means you will do whatever it takes to help others be the best they can be in Christ Jesus.
Love means you will spread the gospel message to everyone you meet.
Love means you will not dishonor God or anyone else in any way.
Love means you will build others up and not tear them down.
Love means you will turn away from all sin.
Love means you will have a full relationship with God and with others.
Love means you will listen to God and others.
How each person shows each of these means of showing love will be different, but God can reveal to you how that is to happen.
Fill your heart with God and you will fill it with love. When your heart is filled with His love, it will be easy to show that love to God and others.
I pray today that you will know God’s love for you; that you will be filled with His love; that you will show God’s love to everyone you meet; and that you will be the light of Jesus to this world.
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