INFINITUM PRIMER PLANಮಾದರಿ

Day 2: Loving God, Loving Others

The way of Infinitum is centered around loving God and loving others. Together, this is known as ‘the great commandment’ as it encompasses all the meaning of the Old Testament. We want love to characterize our lives. And these loves are vertical—God, and horizontal—people. And the order is not coincidental.  

First, we love God. And then we love people. If we try it the other way around, it doesn’t work. If we look to love people, we get tired. Trying to love people in our own strength, a stereotypical humanitarian, well-intentioned approach to caring for people, is unsustainable over the long-term.  

And, if we truly love God, then we WILL love others. This is loving ‘God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’ This is so much more than the best human versions. You can put the most healthy, pure expression of love you’ve seen on steroids and still not quite get it! The Biblical word, ‘agape’ has these definitions (from biblehub.com) = love, goodwill; affection, goodwill, love, benevolence, esteem; moral preference.  

So, let’s see how that looks.

We are to show goodwill, to exercise benevolence, to esteem, to morally prefer God.

And then we are to show goodwill to others, to exercise benevolence toward others, to esteem others, to morally prefer others. Impossible in and of ourselves.

But God is good. And so, what God commands, God enables.