Loving God. Loving Others. My Purpose in Living.

“Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law?  [Some commandments are light--which are heavy.]  And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).  This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.  These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22: 36-40 (Amplified Bible)

 Do you ever wonder what is MOST important about the Christian life?  What ONE THING MUST we “do” in order to live a life that pleases God? 
 
A few weeks back, we had a young man speak at our church.  In his sermon he referred to “we have got to get this right” as he referred to “loving vertical” (meaning our relationship with God), and “loving horizontally” (meaning our relationship with one another).  Repeatedly throughout his sermon, he made reference to this and always illustrated it in the “picture” of the cross.

Ever since that day, that illustration and his words have permeated my thoughts OFTEN!  He is correct – we MUST get this right!  Jesus said in these verses, that upon this one particular truth EVERYTHING else “hinges.”  In The Amplified translation, He says “sum up and upon them depend ALL the law.”  EVERYTHING else then, must be of lesser importance in our visible witness to the world around us.

My purpose in living is to honor Christ Jesus my Savior and Lord.  There are many things I can do to please Him.  There are many things I must do to demonstrate His preeminence I my life.  However, this ONE thing is of most importance – and is the most visible—LOVING GOD AND, from that love for Him, loving others!

My first priority must be Christ.  I must love Him supremely.  My love for Him dominates everything about my life.  Failure to place Him first and foremost, makes Him less in every aspect of my life.  Therefore, I must love Him supremely if I am to make impact in the other aspects of my life.

And – if I have that right, then my love for God is VIVIDLY demonstrated in my love for others!  The world KNOWS if I am abiding in Christ as I should based on the outward evidence of my love and concern for my fellow man.  I have got to get that right.  EVERYTHING else hinges on these two levels of loving God and loving others.

John 15 encourages us to “abide in Him.”  If we abide in Him, that will be evident.  My prayer today is simple, LORD – may I love you more than anything or anyone.  May I place you first in my life.  And Lord, may all those around me see that I love you in the ways I demonstrate my love for you in my actions toward my fellow man.  Help me to love others better than I love myself.  And Father, as a result of my witness in your love, may others see Jesus and come to know you as Lord.