The Greatest Command
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.
Mark 12:30-31
This verse gives us the greatest commandment, and we can see this commandment fulfilled in Jesus. We are predestined to conform to the imagine of His Son, and love is the most important characteristic that makes us to conform to the likeness of Jesus.
Jesus came to earth to show us how to live so Heaven will be our home, and his divine love for the Father and for us, gave Him the strength to endure flogging and death on the cross for our sins. Christ actually saved us, through a heart of love, and we are motivated to serve Christ through a heart of love.
Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14) From this verse we do everything in love, love for the Father and the Son and love for people. Love is the greatest motivation to bring people to Christ, because with a heart of love we hurt for lost souls. Christians love everyone on the planet including our enemies, because everyone is created in the image of God. Most people in this world have been deceived by Satan, and when we love all people, especially people close to us; instead of hating people we have more hate for Satan and his evil deceptions.
The Father fills our heart with agape love, as we go into the world and tell people about Christ. As we minister to people, the love goes from our mind to our heart, and this is important, because we live out of our hearts. Jesus’s love was in his heart and loved everyone, and brought the truth to everyone. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. (Luke 13:34) Jesus shows a heart of love, and how He desires that everyone be saved; and there is no room in our hearts for hatred of people, but plenty of room for hatred of sin.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:12) We love one another which includes all people, then God makes his love in our hearts complete, and the more love we have in our hearts the more Christ-like we become.
Today show patience and kindness to everyone, with a heart that cares about others, and help others if the opportunity arises. Have a happy New Year and know God is in total control.
Prayer: Lord, help me to reflect Christ with kindness and caring heart. In Jesus name, Amen