1 JohnSample

These two verses show the gospel's entirety and its purpose on Earth. This is simply a reflection of “The Greatest Commandment,” spoken by Jesus himself, recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We often hear it paraphrased, “Love God and love people.” There can be many moments in our faith journeys in which we feel like we might be tempted to look to “deeper things” and overlook how powerful this simple commandment is. The truth of the matter is we never graduate from loving God and loving people - we simply learn to do both better over a lifetime - and if we pause to think about it, why would we want to? By loving God, we put our full trust, devotion, and worship into Him. When we do that, He (through the Holy Spirit) gives us the ability to love and serve others truly. When we begin a personal relationship with Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit, which Jesus called an “advocate” (a helper or counselor) who helps us live our faith daily.

Keeping and focusing on this commandment keeps us close to God, where we find fellowship and relationship with Him. Living out this commandment is the most purposeful life we can possibly live. It brings the peace, safety, and grace found in Jesus and mobilizes that relationship to change the world around us. Every time we go to school, work, spend time with our families, or even log onto social media, we can be an example of this commandment. Let’s take time this week to look for all the opportunities in our lives to love God and people well.

Prayer Points

• Pray for God to show you how to grow in your personal relationship with Him - ask him to help you daily through his Spirit.
• Pray for God to show you areas in your life where you can love people well. Pray for Him to help you see people as He sees them.