Wholehearted: A 7-Day Standard Operating Procedure for Loving GodSample

The way Jesus explains the greatest commandments shows us that we are to submit to God and love him with our whole being. Jackie Hill Perry said, “With God comes all the mind needs for wisdom, all the heart needs for love, all the body needs for satisfaction, and all the affections need for joy.” We have everything we need if we surrender to what the Lord has for us.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians that love never ends. The love God has for us is infinite. God’s love is unconditional and unconditional love endures. However, if we don’t first start by loving God, we cannot love our neighbor. As we read yesterday, to love our neighbor as ourselves, we must first love ourselves. We have to spend time with God to love him this way.

Then, our love is shown through our actions and deeds, not just our words. We are missing the mark if we say that we love and trust the Lord but don’t fully surrender our hearts to him. True devotion to the Lord requires laying down our desires and aligning our hearts, minds, and souls with all our strength to God’s will.

As members of the military community, we can relate to this laying down our desires. Those who serve leave behind their families and all their belongings to immerse themselves in the military branch in which they serve. You wear only the clothes on your back as you leave for basic training. Once you arrive, you are issued everything you need. Much in the same way, God gives us all we need when we place our trust in him and become believers.

Often overlooked, the family members who serve alongside their service members are forced to pick up and move every two to three years, leaving behind friends, classmates, and colleagues. However, the devotion and dedication to the service embolden the service member and the family to put down new roots where they have been planted. In the same way, our devotion to the Lord should encourage and embolden us to love others as Christ has loved us.

God is faithful and will provide all we need. We must be still, seek him, and love him with all we are. In the stillness, we can sit in the presence of God, so he can enlarge our hearts and give our souls peace. From that deep intimate space, we learn to trust and love God, which results in love for ourselves. Then love for others will begin to pour out from our lives.

Did you like this 7-day devotional? Check out the Planting Roots website for more information and resources. Planting Roots - Strength to Thrive in Military Life