Wholehearted: Living Life By The Greatest CommandmentSample

Loving God with Our Strength

As we saw in the previous readings, we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. These three words represent concentric rings of life. The heart refers to our inner lives, thoughts, and emotions. The soul, or self, refers to the whole of our being, including our bodies and our actions.

In the final reading of this study of the Shema, we’re going to look at the final, outer ring – strength. It is the Hebrew word meod, a reference to our impact in the world. It encompasses our family, wealth, possessions, and relationships.

Meod can be used to describe power. It is used in Exodus 12:14 to refer to the divine army. It’s also used in Numbers 2:4-28 as a reference to the Israelite encampments. Meod can also have familial and cultural implications. In Genesis 49:3, a related word is used to refer to a firstborn child. In Leviticus 26:20, it is used to refer to farming efforts. And, in Deuteronomy 8:17, it refers to one’s might in multiplying property.

If we take these ideas together, the concept of strength conveyed in Deuteronomy 6:5 refers to something like “worldly effect,” the consequence of a person’s life, one’s relational, intellectual, and financial capital as well as influence and impact in the world. Today, we might say “estate.”

How one uses one’s wealth and position in this world reveals the commitments of the heart. Some have wrongly taught that the Bible teaches that wealth is bad. The Shema suggests that wealth is not only not bad, but is to be used intentionally in our efforts to love and please God. At the opposite end of the spectrum, others have wrongly taught a “prosperity gospel” that suggests the more faithful we are, the more immediate, material blessings we will receive.

The wise person knows their identity and security are ultimately in the covenant Lord and not in the wealth derived from their work. They practice stewardship with what they have been given, but they will not lose the favor of the Lord if they are defrauded of their property. In fact, their security in light of the covenant means that they can receive their wealth joyfully and celebrate their abundance, because their salvation is not tied up in it.

Where are you finding your identity and security? Are you finding them in your wealth and your strength? Or do you view these things as areas to be stewarded out of love for God?

Additional Elements

In this blog post, read how the righteous rich in Scripture received their wealth joyfully and celebrated their abundance.