Words of Encouragement

Is your love wider than the expansive sky? God's is! Let us ask God to help us love people his way. He can grow our capacity to love his way. (Picture by James S. Williams)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. - Mark 12:30

What are You Thinking? Whole Thinking. As I continue to walk this way I am sometimes confounded by individuals belief about God. How do we think we are loving God simply because of the stuff we do. Oh, you know, sometimes we can believe that we love God because we go to church, or we tithe or we serve on a position or post, so we believe that is enough. We in a sense, say look at me God, I'm doing your work.

Instead, as I read these words I think differently. I read a whole thinking. In other words, I must love God with all my heart and soul...that means all my desire turns toward him. I must love God with all my mind...that means my desire is to think godly thoughts at all times. I must love God with all my strength...that means my efforts are all to do God's will.

This requirement is far greater than me simply "doing" something for God. It means I am willing to let go of myself completely into God's capable hands so that he can live through me. He lives through me when I am willing to turn my heart towards him. He is able to live through me when my desire is to please him. He is able to live through me when my thoughts are to do and think his way. That means I pray right, I worship right I love right. And then he is able to live through me because all my efforts are for his purpose.

Today Lord, help us to live for you and to love you. If we say we love you then we will obey you. That is how we show our love. It is good for us to do, but let us not become comfortable simply doing busy work and not taking the time to give you access to us in our entirety. Help us to yield.