40 DAYS in the GOSPEL Sample

GOOD NEWS FOR THE WHOLE SELF

“And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33).

What does it mean to love God with all your heart? Couldn’t Jesus have simply said, “Love God, period?" Jesus knew our human tendencies. We can love God like we love sports teams or ice cream. Our love is filled with exception clauses. “I love my team—except when the management makes poor decisions, or they disappoint me for multiple seasons.”

The gospel of Jesus is such good news that it not only affects our thinking but also our hearts and what we do with our bodies. Perhaps another way to say it is that the Christian response to the gospel is a "whole person” response. If the gospel doesn’t affect your heart and what you do with your body, you don't understand it yet.

Sometimes as a pastor, I (Shawn) will meet with a newly engaged couple and ask the guy questions like, “Tell me what you love about her.” If the guy says, “Well I saw her at a party and thought, wow!” If I probe further and can’t find much, it’s a huge red flag. If you only love her body, you’re not ready for marriage. Do you know her heart? Do you know what she loves? Full wholehearted, whole-person love will affect more than hormones.

When I read this commandment, I am aware again of my divided heart. I know for a fact, I don’t always love God with all my heart, or my strength. What will I do? I will go back to consider the great love the Father has for me, demonstrated in Jesus Christ God’s Son. I will think, sing, and pray concerning the mesmerizing, amazing, inexhaustible love of God that John speaks of: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1). When I do that, it will start working deeply—not simply in my mind, but in my emotions, my actions, and my will. Obeying the greatest commandment is only possible by experiencing the great love of God demonstrated in Jesus.

PRAY ABOUT IT: Oh Father, what a great love you have for me. I know I don’t get this deeply enough yet. May I experience your great love in a way that affects my mind, my strength, my body—all of me.