Do You Really Love God?

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Can we love someone too much?

Loving is so important, yet I worry that I might lose the loved person or thing. What will replace that person or thing?

Love, but do not be attached?

Wait a minute, how can we love without being attached?

Moses believed that the Israelite should learn to really love God.

Can we love God or someone half-heartedly, without full commitment?

It seems there are ways to do so. For that reason, Moses is very clear in telling the Israelites how to LOVE GOD.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength.” (vs. 5-6)

In today’s reading, we also have a New Testament passage from Mark 12:28-34. Jesus repeats this important principle to the one of teachers of the law who wanted to know the MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT. Love God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Heart

Soul

Mind

Strength

ALL OUR HEARTS

Do we love God with all our hearts?

Important question. What is “the heart” in us? It is the center of our emotional being. People use it generally to express their love to someone.

I Y (heart) New York.

It means loving God with deep emotion and warmth. Having a warm heart towards God. Do we express that emotion to God?

Unfortunately, sometimes we are so dry in our expression of love toward God that I wonder about it being true. In the church, do we express love to each other? Are we warm to each other? Maybe we are afraid to express feelings to each other. Do strangers feel welcome in your church?

Our Love to God is a response of God’s love towards us. He does love us with all His heart. Therefore, we do not have a choice. His love is warm and full of emotion. His love is “jealous”. His love is sometimes tearful (Jesus wept for us). His love is compassionate (Jesus healed many).

To love God with our hearts means total commitment. This means God comes first, then your family, and your job.

Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” After receiving a positive response, Jesus said trusted him a mission: “Feed my lambs.”

Jesus asks us, “Do you love me?” If we love Jesus, we obey his commandments. “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

We will continue in English.