Throughout history, commandments have been used to control people. These rules, often considered divine, were meant to be strictly followed. An example is the Ten Commandments, given to the Israelites by God. Even though they were weak and unable to follow them thoroughly, Jesus Christ was sent to make a new covenant with humanity.
However, before the Ten Commandments, there was the commandment to be fruitful and multiply (see Genesis 1:28). While there have been many commandments since then, I’m here to discuss the greatest commandment of all. Let’s read the anchor scripture for the article.
[36] “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Matthew 22:36-37 (NIV)
[37] Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
Love the Lord with all your heart
The Bible says in Proverbs 4:23 that life’s issues flow from the heart, so we must guard it carefully. Your heart belongs to God and ought to be protected from evil. Loving God with all your heart means doing everything you do with all your heart with Him in central focus. You must be fully committed to Him. That means that when you are not doing anything related to Him or going against Him in any endeavour, you feel troubled within. So guard your heart. Let it be filled with godly things and protected from ungodly things. That is what it means to love God with all your heart.
Love the Lord with all your soul
Your soul has three parts: your mind, will, and your emotions. These come together to form your soul. So what you are being told in Matthew 22:37 is that you should always have God on your mind, will and emotions. Your will should be aligned with His will, and in every emotion you express, God should be expressed in it. It is not easy, though. That’s why you may have heard people say things like, “The soul is willing, but the body is weak.” Hmm.
So how do you love God with all your soul?
Colossians 3:2 also says,
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
The scriptures inspire us to set our eyes on things above as a commandment from God. God has also granted us the grace to do this. He knows how hard it is for mortals like you and me to love Him with all our souls, so He gives us the special grace to do this.
Love the Lord with all your mind
What we say, what we do, and how we act often come from our minds. To love God with all your mind means that in whatever you do, the love of God should be its basis.
If you’re going to create an artwork, the love of God should be built into it. If you are going to visit a friend, the love of God should be seen through your visit. Everything you think of should have the love of God as part of the reasons. Again, Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
What does this tell you? In your thinking, see yourself as having a new identity because you were raised with Christ (see Ephesians 2:6). You have to be ministry-minded. Your mind has to be on things related to the advancement of God’s kingdom.
In conclusion, loving God with all our hearts, souls, and minds is the greatest commandment of all. It is not easy, but it is possible with God’s grace. When you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, you show Him that He is the most important person in your life. You also set yourself up for a life of peace, joy, and fulfilment. Relate with God in love and not with fear or repression.
