The First and Greatest Command

Jordan McKinney

When we think of what it means to love God there is always one verse that stands out in everyone’s mind, Luke 10:27. This verse is at the start of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus is approached by an expert in the law and is questioned about which commandment is the greatest. Depending on which Gospel you read, either Jesus answers the question directly or he says the following in Luke 10:25-28.

“25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But what does is actually mean to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Well this is how I have interpreted this verse in my own life.

Heart – When it comes to loving God with all your heart, I have viewed this as a matter of priority. If you have ever read a leadership principle or habits book you might have heard the metaphor of the rocks and the sand. The basic idea is that if we want to fill a bucket with large rocks, gravel, and sand there is only one order everything will fit. If you start with the sand, then the gravel, you won’t be able to fit the big rocks in. You have to start with the big rocks, then gravel and last the sand. The same is principle applies to our lives. To love God with all you heart is to put him first in everything that we do. He becomes our number one priority while everything else (career, school, friends, even family) come after. When we have God first everything else “will be added”. But if we start filling our heart with other things, soon we don’t have room left for God.  

Soul – Loving God with all of our soul really is about the actions and the choices that we make. Our soul makes up who we are, it’s what makes you, you! Our choices over our lives help shape who we are. Those choices include the people we choose to have influence in our lives. What we spend time doing. What kind of person we want to become. To love God with our soul is to live out what God wants us to do. 1 John 5:3 tell us, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome”. When we choose to love God with all our soul, those choices honor God and help us become more like Christ!

Mind – I think this one can be a struggle for many of us. If we were to sit and ask ourselves how we talk about ourselves in our minds it does not come close to what God thinks of us. Our minds are as elusive to control as our tongues are. No man can tame the tongue and non of us can change our thoughts and minds on our own. We have to pray that God can transform us like it says in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” We can love God by thinking of ourselves and others how God views each of us, with love, grace, kindness, and hope!

Strength – To love God with all our strength is to always do our best and work with excellence no matter what the task may be. We are called out to be a beacon and a light on a hill. One of the best missions field we are all placed on is our place of work. Our work ethic says a lot about our character as a person and as a follower of Christ. We should always remember to “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” (Colossians 3:23). We say more with our actions then with our words, and people are always looking to see if we will put our money (or actions) where our mouths are.

 Last, remember that the ultimate expression of love to God is when we love people the way that he has loved us. He loved us so much that he humbled himself, gave us mercy, redeemed us, adopted us, and ultimately gave his life for us. So let’s all go and do the same showing our love for God through our love of others!