Loving the Lord with our Whole Heart

Just how do we love the Lord with our whole heart?  The bible says we are to do this, and yet the cares of the world tug and pull on our hearts all the time.  Spouses, children, parents, close friends, all draw from the love in our hearts.  How do we give enough love to all those we care about and still love the Lord with our Whole Heart?

The Amplified bible says it this way in Mark 12:30, “And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength.  This is the first and principal commandment.”

Then the next verse commands us to love our neighbor as ourself.  So how much love can we give out of this whole heart of ours and still give it all to God?

Well, I’d like to think about this as stated in the Amplified version, “out of and with.”  So we love “out of” our heart, and we love “with” our heart.  The bible says that God is love, and when Jesus saves us and sends His Holy Spirit to live within us, His love then becomes part of us.  This then enables us to have enough love to share “out of and with” our hearts, our souls, our minds.  What a mystery and a miracle!  Thank you Jesus!

Anyone care to share any additional thoughts or insights?

Friendship

A friend is someone who fills our lives with beauty, joy, and grace.

And makes the world we live in a better and happier place.

There is a miracle called friendship, that dwells in the heart. You do not know how it happens or when it gets its start.

But you know the special lift it always brings. You realize that friendship is the world’s most precious gift!

 

Copied from an email received.  Original author unknown.

When God is at the Center, Marriage Works!

Listening to a pastor at a recent wedding gave me the title of this blog post. As everyone wished the bride and groom love and happiness as they said their marriage vows, I got to thinking how we must put God at the center of our marriage in order to truly have love and happiness. Without God at the center, love can grow cold and life circumstances can rob us of our happiness. With God at the center, we can have joy in the midst of any and all circumstances, and since God is love, love will always abound in our hearts toward one another when we keep our focus on Him.

Please share how you keep God at the center of your marriage.  Would love to hear your comments!