Loving God
Loving God
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.” (Matt. 22:37–38)
In the Abstract
As Bible-believing Christians we understand and agree in principle that we are supposed to love the Lord with all our heart, and yet this command can remain somewhat of an abstract concept to us. When we’re pressed to say exactly what it means, we can come up empty. So how does a man of God show his love for God? Well, the specifics will vary, but we can find a good example of the kind of heart God is looking for in a few scenes with Mary, the sister of Lazarus (see John 12:1–3).
In the Concrete
First, Mary spent her money—an amount probably worth a year’s wages—on oil to anoint Jesus. She had to know that others would think her act of worship was wasteful, but she was willing to risk the ridicule of others, further demonstrating her love.
Mary served Jesus by washing His feet with her hair—an act of extreme humility since a woman’s hair was often seen as her personal glory. She also anointed His feet, not His head, which was another demonstration of all-out worship. No doubt Mary had an extravagant, unashamed love for Jesus. And that’s what God wants from us. It can take a million different forms, of course. The key is to be obedient to the clear instructions of His Word and sensitive to the leading of the Spirit on all occasions.
Bottom Line
Live in obedience to God’s commandments, thus showing your extravagant love for Him.