Growing up I wonder what the Bible meant when it says to love God with your heart, soul, strength, and mind. As I wasn’t a scholar of either Hebrew or Greek, I interpret these English words very basically as emotions, spirit, body, and intellect. However, even the shortest online search told me it wasn’t so easy.
Many bible scholars say these terms are not intended to divvy up human nature into neat categories. While others think they overlap like circles on a Venn diagram. Still, others picture them as concentric circles with some more central and others on the edges. And few agree on psychological equivalents in human experience. One writer puts it this way: God wants us to love and obey him with “everything we’ve got.”
In the bible it’s said about King Josiah: “before him, there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses”. Josiah gave all everything he had. That’s what God expects.
Today as we make plans many use SMART—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. There is much wisdom here. Yet I wonder if God wished we would focus less on outcomes and more about being His person, with everything we have, enjoying His fellowship, and obeying His commands. Doing so makes loving him less about us being successful, looking for rewards and more about Him being our Lord and saviour.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” Luke 10:27
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank you that you have made us complex yet simple so that we can love and obey you diversely! Father, show me how to give you my all. God, please be my strength and comfort as I seek to make you Lord of my entire world. In Christ’s name Amen.
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