"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: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31
Love God, Love people. The Bible is full of commandments and yet Christ's words spoke to this as the greatest commandment. It sounds so simple to love God and love people and yet we struggle to accomplish this every single day! At the very least, we are so pre-occupied with our own agenda and self centered focus. At the worst, we treat others with prejudice, judging them without truly knowing them.
"Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement.' Romans 12:3
This is a highly unpopular view in the world we live today. It is in man's sinful nature that we bend towards self serving actions. Humility, especially in the face of mistreatment, is not only difficult but impossible with Christ.
So...how can we fulfill the most important commandments?! The command to "Love God" is first for a reason. We were created for the purpose of having relationship with God. Only through that relationship can we love people truly as He does. We love people and judge people based on what we see and hear. God judges the heart.
Two years ago God spoke to my heart and began to soften it towards others. I was busy working in church ministry, mentoring and teaching. Yet, I struggled with focusing on my daily agenda and all I wanted to accomplish that I often missed opportunities to love others, to truly see them as He does. I was busy doing the "right things" yet was I really loving people like I should? I started praying every morning that God would allow me to see people as He sees them. I began to see beyond prejudices, past attitudes and actions and instead the heart of God for His people. His love is so deep for his children. Broken, lost children who need His love to be healed and made whole. I won't pretend that I have this all figured out and I often still fall short. There have also been times where my choice to walk in humility and love others has caused me pain because of their mis-treatment in return. In those times, it was God's love for me that overflowed, allowing me to respond with love. It is not in my own strength but His overwhelming compassion for me that I am able to pass it along.
It is a daily choice. To seek God first and love His people second. Denying ourselves, our selfish ambitions, pride and prejudice must be done daily. Until the day we walk with Him we will be in constant battle with the carnal man. Yet, we have the truth within us!
"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them." 1 John 4:16
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