Pt 2 Loving God More
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. – Matthew 22:37-38.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. – Matthew 6:33.
At an evangelism conference I once heard a preacher talking about a wedding. The couple had a most elaborate wedding and reception. They looked to be so happy. Finally the time came for them to leave and the husband escorted his new bride to their car, opened the door helping her in. He then kissed his wife and said that he hoped she would have a good honeymoon and would see her again someday. Now, of course the bride was shocked and began to cry and shout about it wouldn’t be a marriage unless they lived together and spent time together. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true marriage unless they did spend time with each other.
In the traditional wedding ceremony, the minister will say something like this: “you must promise to love her, to honor and cherish her, and leaving (or forsaking) all others, cleave only to her and be to her in all things the true and faithful husband so long as you both shall live. Do you so promise?” Now the correct answer is not “I’ll think about it” or “sometimes I will” or “I’ll do it if there is no one else around.” No, the correct answer is “I do.” From what I know about marriages including my own this leaving behind all others or forsaking all others except your own husband or wife is vitally important to most couples. When you give your heart to someone you are giving, pledging your loyalty. You are giving your exclusive loyalty above all other loyalties to the person you are marrying.
When you give your heart to God you should be establishing the same kind of loyalty. When you have a relationship with God you should be putting that relationship above all other things in the world that compete with that relationship. If you truly love God, you will forsake those things that you know are not what God would want in your life.
Loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength means that you will put God first above every other thing in this world. When you do that everything else will fall into place. Grow in your love for God. Truly give God your heart by forsaking all competing things. Make a commitment and ask God to help you keep that commitment to be loyal to Him, only Him. When you do that you will find that your love for God will grow and grow and grow.
(Loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength means that you will put God first above every other thing in this world.)