What does it mean to love with all of our heart, soul, and mind? In a world full of distractions, conflicts, and challenges, we may find ourselves questioning how to live out this kind of radical love that Jesus speaks of. Love is central to our Christian faith, and the virtue of love is the foundation upon which all other virtues rest. It is the heart of who we are as followers of Christ, and it is the driving force behind everything we do.
In Matthew 22:35-38, Jesus provides a powerful teaching on love that invites us to examine our hearts and motivations. As we continue our year-long journey of being “Rooted in Virtues,” this post explores the importance of loving God with our whole being and how this love should overflow into our love for others. Through this passage, we gain insight into what it truly means to love God and others, and we are challenged to live out this love in our daily lives.
Scriptural Reflection
In Matthew 22:35-38 (NASB), the passage reads:
"One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment."
In this moment, Jesus is responding to a question posed by a lawyer who sought to test Him. The lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest in the Law, and Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5. He essentially distilled all the commandments into one central truth: Love. Loving God is the greatest commandment because it encompasses everything about our relationship with Him.
When Jesus says to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, He is describing the totality of our being. The heart represents our emotions, desires, and motivations; the soul reflects our deepest identity and spiritual essence; and the mind encompasses our thoughts and reasoning. Loving God with all of these aspects means that our entire lives—our feelings, our actions, our decisions—should be directed towards Him.
The second commandment, as Jesus continues, is equally significant: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). This shows us that loving God is inseparable from loving others. Our relationship with God is reflected in how we treat those around us. To love God fully is to love others deeply, and this love should shape the way we interact with the world.
Practical Application
1. Loving God with All Your Heart, Soul, and Mind: The first step in living out this commandment is to cultivate a deep and personal love for God. This means prioritizing God in our hearts, minds, and lives above all else. It requires devotion, intentionality, and a desire to seek Him above everything.
Practical Step: Begin by setting aside intentional time each day to connect with God through prayer, worship, and reading His Word. Reflect on how much He loves you and how you can reciprocate that love in your daily life. Ask God to reveal areas where you may need to grow in your love for Him. Allow Him to speak to your heart, renewing your passion and commitment to Him.
Consider carrying this love into your daily tasks by focusing on the presence of God throughout the day. Whether you’re at work, school, or home, remind yourself that everything you do can be done with love for God. Let your actions and attitudes reflect a heart that is fully surrendered to Him.
2. Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself: Loving others as ourselves means that we are called to extend the same compassion, kindness, and grace that we desire for ourselves. It’s easy to love those who are kind to us or those we naturally feel connected to, but the challenge Jesus presents is to love everyone, including those who may be difficult to love.
Practical Step: Identify someone in your life who may be challenging to love—perhaps a coworker, a neighbor, or even someone within your family. Begin to pray for them and ask God to help you see them through His eyes. Ask Him to give you the strength to love them as He does. In your interactions with them, choose kindness, patience, and humility. Even when it’s hard, let your love be a reflection of God’s love for you.
Another way to practice love is through acts of service. Look for opportunities to serve those around you, not for recognition or reward, but because love compels you to care for others. Whether it’s offering a helping hand, a listening ear, or a kind word, small gestures of love can make a significant impact in someone’s life.
3. Cultivating a Lifestyle of Compassion: Compassion is an expression of love that involves empathy and a deep concern for the well-being of others. It goes beyond sympathy—it calls us to take action and help those in need. As we seek to live out the virtue of love, we must also be intentional about showing compassion in our daily lives.
Practical Step: Pay attention to the needs of those around you. Look for opportunities to show compassion, whether it’s a neighbor going through a tough time or a stranger in need of encouragement. Practice listening with an open heart, and ask God to help you respond with love and compassion. When we cultivate a heart of compassion, we are reflecting the heart of God, who saw our deepest need and met it through Jesus.
Encouragement to Stay Rooted
Practicing love in this way is not always easy. Life is filled with challenges, distractions, and even conflicts that can make it difficult to love others. But when we are rooted in God’s love, we draw from His strength and grace to live out this commandment. God’s love never fails, and it is that same love that empowers us to love others.
Stay rooted in your relationship with God by continuing to seek Him in all things. In moments of struggle or frustration, turn to Him for the strength to love as He loves. Trust that He will help you grow in this virtue and that He is faithful to guide you as you seek to love Him and others with all your heart, soul, and mind.
The commandment to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind is the foundation of our Christian faith. It is through our love for God that we are able to love others deeply and selflessly. As we seek to live out this love in our daily lives, we are called to prioritize God, extend compassion, and serve others with a heart full of grace. Let’s continue to grow in love, allowing God’s love to flow through us and transform the world around us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unfailing love that has been poured out on us through Jesus Christ. Help us to love You with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. May Your love fill us to the brim so that we can pour it out onto those around us. Teach us to reflect Your compassion and grace in all that we do. Strengthen us when it’s hard to love and empower us to live in a way that honors You. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.