Return to Your First Loveنموونە

Day 3: Falling in Love with God Again

Mark 12:30: “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.”

I remember leading a prayer group at my church years ago, where one verse was written on the wall: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." Every day, I prayed this verse, yet I didn’t fully understand its meaning. It seemed simple, but life’s trials revealed how distant I was from its true essence.

Though I was called to love the Lord and wanted to love Him again, I realized I couldn’t do it by relying on my own mind, strength, or understanding. I longed for intimacy with God but constantly failed. It was the Holy Spirit who opened my eyes, showing me that God was calling me to love Him entirely while also revealing the pride and rebellion within me. I came to understand that loving God apart from Jesus is impossible—because as Jesus said, "Apart from me, you can do nothing." To truly love God with all my heart, I needed Jesus to help me let go of my pride and rebellion.

So, how do we love the Lord practically with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? First, we love God with all our heart by making Him the center of our affections and desires. Loving God with all our soul means surrendering our emotions and will to Him, choosing His ways even when it’s hard. Loving Him with all our mind involves focusing our thoughts on His Word, learning more about Him, and thinking on His truths. Lastly, loving God with all our strength means serving Him with our time, energy, and resources—giving Him our best in everything we do.

This kind of love isn’t something we can do on our own. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what’s hindering your love for God, and He will help you overcome those barriers, so you can love the Lord with your whole being.