Jesus was once asked, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 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.’” (Matthew 22:34-40) Paul also reminds us in Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

So, what is love? If you are young, you probably think that it’s that tingly feeling you get when that boy at school looks at you. You can’t breathe when he is around. You absolutely can’t think. And there isn’t a moment that he isn’t on your mind. That could be love…but it probably really isn’t. Real love, agape love, is so much deeper. Agape love is the highest form of love. It’s the love that God has for man and the love that we in turn should have for the God who created us. A true loving relationship is reciprocal. It’s love that is flowing back and forth between two people within the relationship. A marriage cannot be successful, if only one person in the relationship is giving love. Love must flow between them in order for the marriage to thrive. The same is true with our relationship with God. If we only pray when we are in trouble, or when we want something, how will our relationship thrive? God is not our magic genie in the sky! He is a father who loves His children and His greatest desire is to have a relationship with us.

When Jesus was hung on the cross, many around Him mocked Him. Even the criminal being crucified alongside of Him ridiculed Him bitterly. Luke 23:39, “One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, ‘Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’” Dear friends, the nails in Jesus’s hands and feet are not what held Him to the cross. It was His love for you and me that held Him there! Do you not see that Christ is the commander of the Lord’s army and He could have simply called a legion of angels down to wipe out those who were against Him? Yet, even has He hung there, He prayed to the Father to forgive them. That’s how much He truly loves us!

Our greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And the second is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” As we go through each day, we will stumble, and we will fail. There is no way that we can live a life that is worthy of the sacrifice Jesus made at the cross. We can, however, increase our efforts in loving our God. Take more time to pray. Take more time to study His word. And in doing this, our relationship with Him who created us, will grow. The love that flows between us will grow and that love will overflow into the way we interact with each other. We will begin to see how His love is now flowing out of us and into others!

It seems simple, yet we are so broken in our human shells. Love the Lord and love each other. Each day can certainly be a struggle! But God isn’t worried about our failures. I believe He cares much more about our hearts! And as we turn our focus to Him, His Spirit will teach us, lead us, and strengthen us, so that each day we can live our lives in service for Him. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and with one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Amen