Loving WellSample

Commanded

When we say love is the very cornerstone of Christianity, we can do so with great confidence. Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40 responded to the question, "Which is the greatest commandment in the law?"

In verses 37 - 40 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.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Could you imagine a world of people focused on these two commandments? If we poured ourselves out to God first and let that overflow to others that would be amazing.

I think as western modern believers, we struggle with words like command and kingdom. Jesus did not present a democracy of God, but a Kingdom of God. As Americans, the way we hear God’s word may be like: “If I feel like it,” “If it is convenient me,” or “If it doesn’t cost me too much, then I will consider it.”

We often do not hear the word deep in our hearts that love is a command. We may not appreciate what someone has done or even how they operate, but loving others is a command. Even writing this, I can anticipate the emails, “Dr. Weiss, you do not understand…” as a way out of obeying this command. Any military trained person will tell you a command is a command. You do not have to agree, understand, or even like it; you just have to do it.

Even though love is commanded of us, I do appreciate greatly how Jesus prioritized these commands. 

First, be all out in love with God. When you love God in an all-out fashion, you actually get charged up to love. When you hang around love (God), you become like him.

Our loving God allows us to love other people. We all know not all people are easy to love, and to love well might involve appropriate boundaries; however, to love is a command.

We can live a lifestyle of loving well, if moment by moment we put ourselves and our hearts into this one idea: that right now with this person, I am commanded to love them well.

We will grow tremendously in love if we practice these two commands. As we obey the commission to love, we will truly look more like the Father and inspire others to move toward Him as well.