Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40
Recently God has really confirmed the truth of this verse to me. I have become convinced that the only thing I am called to do is to love God and love others as myself. Anything outside of that is useless. Rubish.
But love is such a broad word. I never knew a four letter word could pack such a punch. Just reading through 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) will give you only a small glimpse of what it really is. However, the past couple weeks God has really been teaching me one of the branches of this thing He calls love. In 1 Cor. 13:7 it says that love always trusts. Now, I know what trust is… it’s putting confidence in something or someone. But what does trust really look like in action? What does it mean to trust God with your whole heart, mind and soul?
Now, the Bible constantly tells us who God is. It says He is love, eternal, life-giving, creator, in-control, relational, jealous, just, merciful, and holy. And those are just a few words to describe an indescribable God. Now what happens when we really believe those things are true? I’m not talking about just recognizing that those are some of God’s characteristics but actually being convinced of them. For instance, if God really is who He says He is then who am I to ever worry or complain about my circumstances… For God says that He is capable of using even the bad in our lives for the good. For God says that He is in control and knows what He is doing.
Why don’t I trust Him? I mean, if we can accept that Jesus died and rose again for us what makes it hard to accept that God is capable of deciding what we need and when we need it? Why can’t we trust Him? Is it a pride issue? Is it a control issue? Are we just to lazy to put any thought into it? Or maybe we think that we can plan our lives better than the very One who created us for a purpose? I know God is good. I know God is in control. I know God knows better than me. So why not get on board of the plan He has for my life?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”
Proverbs 3:5-7
