Matthew 22:37

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ~ Matthew 22:37


How do we know if we really love God? Is my love shown to him because I attend church every (or almost) every Sunday? I do good deeds every now and again, surely that shows that I love God! I help in my church too, surely that shows that I love God. I can quote the Bible verses I was taught as a young person and many people are amazed at what I can remember and speak. I do a lot of things for God, that is how I know I love God.

The question I have though as a pastor is this: are the people God has put into my hands spiritually mature? All the above are good, but are they what lead us to be spiritually mature in Christ? So, if I love God, and I do all the above, but I am angry at home with my spouse and children, do I love God? If I am a leader, but I am unteachable, insecure, and defensive, do I love God with all my heart? If I can quote scripture, but call my neighbour names under my breath, do I love God? If I lead people, but don’t share what my struggles are, do I love God with all my heart? If I do all the above but enter a place of ill-repute, or wear clothing that has words that do not speak God’s love, am I loving God?

Jesus was not finished with this statement above, for if we continue to read, he states that the second commandment is as important as the first: to love our neighbour as ourselves. How much we love God is shown by how much we love our neighbour. How we relate to even our enemy displays whether our communion with God is deep, or shallow. Love for God must be deep, we must grow spiritually to love as God loves and to love God from within and not just with words. Loving God, our being spiritually mature involves our physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual – in other words, our whole being.  

Pastor Julia

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