Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 34-40)
There was a period of time that I had a hard time grasping the idea of “Loving your neighbor as yourself.” There had been so many moments where I didn’t want to love my neighbor as myself, but not because I didn’t want to love my neighbor, but because I didn’t want to love anyone in that way I loved myself. I had spent hours upon hours picking apart every detail in the mirror, speaking negatively about who I was, and running from the idea that I was ever going to feel good enough. How can I love someone else well when I’m not loving myself well?
I learned a mind-blowing truth about this part of scripture. It’s not talking about the “feeling” of love, but about the idea of being concerned for the well-being of another person. We are naturally concerned for the well-being of ourselves, even if that concern isn’t paired with the “feeling of love”.
While it’s human nature to want what’s best for ourselves, we don’t always know what that looks like. If we’re filling ourselves full with the lies of what well-being looks like to the world, are we ignoring the truths that God is trying to communicate to us?
See, the first and most important part of this verse is this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” When we are able to lean into who God is and who He created us to be, we understand that our desire for our own well-being actually can and will be paired with the feeling of love… That love being the love God has for us.
Each day, because of this love, we have the opportunity to mirror Christ and show who He is to others through our actions. Let’s live life ALL IN for God!
What does loving the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and mind look like to you?
What are some tangible ways you can honor God through your actions this week?
