Loving God with All Your Strength

 

Loving God with All Your Strength

By Marsha Iddings

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Loving God with all our heart has to do with the hidden part of that is not seen by others.  Loving God with all our soul has to do with having the same will and purpose that God does for us.  Loving God with all our mind has to do with what we think about and what we feed into our minds.  Now we come to the last one.  Loving God with all our strength.

Vine's Expository Dictionary says the Greek word refers to our ability and strength.  I think one of the most comforting things is that God knows our weaknesses and He knows what our abilities and strengths are.  When He says to love Him with all our strength, He does not expect us to compare ourselves to the next person and strive to do as much as him.  He expects us to love Him with all the ability and  strength that WE have.  He commended the church at Philadelphia because they kept His word and did not deny His name although they had only a little strength.  "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name."  (Revelation 3:8)

When we are totally committed to God, he can use us even when we are weak. "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  (2Corinthians 12:9)

God wants us to love Him to the best of our abilities and strength.  We can do that even if we are flat on our backs in bed.  All He asks is that we do all to His glory.  "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (Corinthians 10:31)  If that means we are flat in bed due to illness or injury, then we are to lay in bed and do it to the glory of God.  That is loving God with all your strength.  If we are well, what ever we do, we are to do to the glory of God and that will be loving God with all our strength.  God can use us no matter our circumstances when we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Dear Father, This study has opened my eyes to areas of my life that need some work.  It has also brought comfort to me knowing that You are aware of how much strength I have and only expect me to use what I have and not be discouraged because someone else has more ability and strength to love You.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.