We have focused on love from the book of First John, but I want to illustrate how critical love is according to Jesus’ own words. I think you’ll find it is more challenging than you might realize. As we embark on this journey over the next two weeks, please know that this is not something that simply happens; it is how we grow and mature each day. It is a true reflection of our becoming more like Jesus.
Please understand that I’m only scratching the surface over these next two weeks. However, also realize this is not something you can do on your own. We need the Holy Spirit’s leading and guidance, as well as the wisdom, encouragement, strength, and comfort of a mentor and a family of believers to help us grow.
You are going to want to take notes today!
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
We need to recognize that for someone who followed Judaism during this time, there are over 613 laws outlined in the first five books of Moses, known as the Torah. Thus, the question is valid: Which of the 613 laws should we prioritize? Jesus makes it simple…
Every day, a good Jewish family would recite this twice: “God is one; we must love Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind, and strength.”
I emphasize the “all” because there can be no compromise if you are going to follow the Lord.
Way back in Moses’ day, God inspired Moses to tell him, “God is one.” Even before Moses understood the concept of a messiah or the idea of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was the voice of God in the burning bush. When Jesus says to love God with ALL your heart, mind, soul, and strength, we must start by understanding God as one. We need to know and understand the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, loving them all completely!
Let me pause for a moment and give a quick definition of the Trinity….
Within the one being that is God, there exist, eternally, three co-equal and co-eternal persons, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!
I hope that helps….now back to loving God!
We spent considerable time discussing our love for God and starting to grasp the depth of His love for us. But what does it truly mean to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength? With each of these points I’m going to give you three scriptures that will help define each aspect of loving God.
- Love God with all your heart
The term for heart used here (Kardia) encompasses both the emotional and physical aspects of human beings. Consider what this means: the heart is the source of all our feelings, both positive and negative. Science tells us that it is not our physical hearts that generate emotions, but rather our minds. However, in our culture and in the cultures of the Middle East at that time, the source of our emotions was believed to reside in our heart.
Your heart is where your desires, dreams, and emotions live. Loving God with your heart means He’s your number one. Not just someone you believe in—but someone you want to be close to.
To love God with all your heart is to make Him your ultimate desire and treasure.
Proverbs 4:23
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
The heart is the source of your life direction—your thoughts, actions, and words flow from it. To “keep” your heart means to guard it from influences that draw it away from God.
Loving God with your heart requires intentional vigilance. You must examine what you allow into your inner world…What you dwell on, crave, or trust. Your love for God is reflected in your discipline: you protect your affection for Him by resisting distraction or compromise.
Ask yourself, what am I letting into my heart that competes with my love for God?
Psalm 73:25,26
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”
This is a declaration of total heart allegiance to God. David acknowledges that all earthly things pale in comparison to God’s presence and provision.
Loving God with your heart means that He becomes your greatest treasure…not just in theory, but in practice. When your desires shift toward God, above comfort, success, or people, your heart reflects true love. Even when you’re weak or discouraged, you cling to Him as your source and satisfaction.
Ask yourself, Can I honestly say that nothing on earth compares to my desire for God?
Matthew 6:21
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Your heart follows your treasure. Whatever you value most will claim your emotions, thoughts, and loyalty.
Loving God with your heart means that your time, energy, resources, and focus are aligned with God’s purposes. If you want your heart to love God more, invest more of yourself in the things of God—prayer, His Word, His people, His mission. Daily surrender your time, talent, and treasure to God’s purposes…..watch what and how he will give you a return on your investment!
Ask yourself these two questions. Where am I investing my time and attention? What does that say about what I truly treasure?
A heart that loves God above all else is undivided, loyal, and continually seeking His presence in worship and daily life. Think of it like this: whatever you value most gets your attention. Loving God with your heart means choosing Him above all else.
2) Love God with All Your Mind – thoughts, understanding, and intentions
This is about what occurs in your mind—your thoughts, beliefs, and imagination. This is where we engage in thinking and learning. Loving God with all your mind means centering your education on him, expanding our ability to comprehend his vastness and mystery. Studying him until we are overwhelmed by his power, love, grace, and beauty.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The world seeks to shape your thinking, but God calls you to resist that mold and be transformed. This transformation begins with the renewal of your mind through the Word of God and the Spirit’s work.
Loving God with your mind means submitting your thought patterns to be reformed by His truth. It is about pursuing clarity of God’s will and aligning your beliefs and decisions with His character. The mind becomes a place where worship happens through truth-based transformation.
Ask yourself, am I letting God reshape the way I think, or am I simply absorbing what the culture says?
2 Corinthians 10:5
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
The Christian mind is engaged in a battle…. against lies, pride, and false ideologies that challenge God’s truth. Victory comes by taking thoughts captiveand submitting them to Christ.
Loving God with your mind means practicing mental discipline. It involves being alert to internal and external ideas that oppose God’s truth and refusing to let them dominate. Instead, every thought is examined through the lens of Christ’s authority.
Ask yourself, what kinds of thoughts am I allowing to influence me without confronting them with God’s Word?
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Paul gives a grid for godly thinking: focus your mind on what builds up, reflects God’s nature, and leads to peace and joy.
Loving God with your mind means feeding it intentionally. It’s not merely about avoiding bad thoughts; it’s about actively choosing to think about things that glorify God and promote spiritual health. It’s a call to beauty, justice, and moral excellence as the foundation of your mental life.
Ask yourself, am I filling my mind with things that lead me closer to God or further from Him?
Loving God with your mind means thinking about His truth, asking questions, studying Scripture, and learning how to see the world through His eyes. This means cultivating a mind that meditates on God’s truth and is transformed by it. Love for God should shape how you think, reason, and process life. Our beliefs must be rooted in His Word, not worldly wisdom.
If your thoughts are running wild with fear, pride, or negativity, bring them back to God. Let Him shape your mindset.
Surrendering your drive, passions, and thoughts to God brings true peace and fulfillment. Consider it from the other side… Do you now see how some of your passions, drives, desires, thoughts, and patterns of thinking have robbed you of joy, freedom, wholeness, success, and fruit in your life?
Do you have a clearer understanding of loving God? Can you see the true struggle between the world’s demands and our flesh versus the incredible love God has for us?
I hope you took notes today so you can challenge yourself to grow in your love for God with all your heart and mind. If there is something in particular you are struggling with in loving God fully, please allow someone to pray for you!