"LOVING GOD
is the most important thing we do!"
However, since God is ever-present, but not physically present in human form (any longer) on this earth {we did not do too well when He was} ... and even though we are to Love God first with our whole being (our heart, our soul, our mind) - the first & greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38) (Mark 12:30) Jesus added a second (in Mark 12:31) "to love our neighbor as ourselves", a tangible way that we show God our love for Him is in how we love our neighbor (& self) expressed in our affinity for kindness, patience, gentleness etc. in relations with others (our neighbors & toward ourselves).
Because God is love, we should love each other, showing that love to others {as we would like it shown to us} also demonstrates that God lives in us, acknowledging that love that Jesus Christ came and was willing to be obedient to death to express His love. Now that kind of LOVE takes alot of STRENGTH. When another person is difficult to love, whatever our personal reason or difference is ... we all know it takes STRENGTH to continue to love or love them despite the personal conflict or difference. {I think you get my point} Easy to love God or at least say that we do, because it cannot be proven, except it is proven (shown) in how we obey & love one another {not just tolerate or avoid trying}- which takes "LOVING GOD with all our STRENGTH". Letting God live through us and His kind of LOVE - AGAPE {not the other kinds of love: philea (empathy bond), storge (friend bond), eros (romantic love)} - Agape love is unconditional "God" love (1 Corinthians 13 kind of love). Reading this passage over many years has recently caused me to ponder & question, have I ever really LOVED like this - doing so would require Godly STRENGTH {not my own}. A LOVE that shows God's transformation of me, a change in not only my perspective & attitude but in my daily actions.{ouch} LOVE is not a present under a Christmas tree, measured by how great it is or just what we wanted; it's His Presence in us, shown and expressed by our LOVE unconditionally given just as Jesus gave to us so we give to others through Jesus Christ in us, and also by LOVING God with all our STRENGTH.
So what does it really mean to do something with all your STRENGTH? According to Robert J. Morgan, in his book "The Strength You Need" after giving a "major sporting competition" example of athletes with all their strength, breaking records, their own & others, he states:
| "To do something with all our strength implies intensity, sustained effort, and ongoing concentration." Robert J. Morgan, The Strength You Need |
"THAT'S THE WAY We're to LOVE GOD ..."
which leads this circle right back to my beginning words
so if Jesus appeared as He did to Peter & asked you,
"Do you love Me?"
(3 times)
How might you respond?
He might look at you, how you're living, look around at your habits
or environment or priorities
or how you treat others
"Do you really love Me?"
(John 21:15-17)
[by the way, each time Jesus asked Peter, He told him "...then feed My sheep" - if I've got this right, so, in essence, that's what He is telling each of us this so once again how we do this is by showing love for others in tangible ways] I remember this vividly from our church's drama depiction for Easter/Resurrection "The Life Giver" in Jimmy & Carol Owens "The Witness" Musical in the Song "I Love You Lord"
God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us love and obey Him. If we LOVE GOD with all our STRENGTH, it more than likely will look like, we are on a mission to make God happy, please Him, show Him that we LOVE Him as He loved us, that we truly intend to do His will (not our own) with all our might - all our ability (that He has given us, within us) to the best of our individual capability, because HE is so worthy of ALL our undivided love! We must demonstrate our love for God by putting God first before everything and everyone else in life. And like us, He wants to be told often, "I love You!" so let Him know & say to Him daily how much you love Him! (Psalm 18:1). God wants us to acknowledge Him & His Name. By LOVING His Word, we are STRENGTHENED & nourished with the many promises He's given us & see that God blesses those who LOVE Him when we love God with all our STRENGTH.
This Christmas, we can simply LOVE God with all our heart ... and all our STRENGTH & return to that fresh "first LOVE" that we encountered when we met God through Jesus Christ & see how that babe in a manger came to show His LOVE completely, dependent on His Father, for every thing, every day until His last & teach us how to LOVE God & Love one another and the privilege we have to be so LOVED! Now that brings STRENGTH ... to our weary souls - to our weighted hearts - to our overwhelmed, worrisome minds! God is LOVE & "God so LOVED the world (or individualize this by putting your name or someone's name) that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) that whosoever (insert that name) BELIEVES in Him (God, the Father, Son & Holy Spirit as One) and trust in Him (AMP) as Savior [so that that person: YOU, ME or inserted name] will not perish {cease to exist * my own amplified} but have everlasting life." So much LOVE - undeserved - but by His aMazing Grace! "
We LOVE because He first LOVED us!
(1 John 4:19)
We can never LOVE God too much
but we can
LOVE
Him better
in our daily walk with Him
in our adoration and devotion to Him
in our obedience, in our daily conversations
with Him (and others)
by hating evil and helping other people
"to know, love & serve Him"
which in turn
will give us
STRENGTH
so that we can go from
"strength to strength"
(Psalm 84:7 & 89:17)
hopefully
EXTRA STRENGTH
In conclusion, there are many verses on LOVE and many on STRENGTH, but when I did a search for LOVE & STRENGTH the main one was this verse in Mark 12:30 & I would add 31 ... so as I LIGHT the CANDLE of LOVE on this 4th Week of Advent
I will only link to the List of Bible Verses found:
| 49 Bible Verses about Love and Strength 44 Verses about Strength & Love |
Wishing you all
|
{*I guess that}
