Devotion Am I Loving God by my Actions?

Read: Matthew 22:34-40

Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. --Matthew 22:37

Loving God with every aspect of who I am? That’s not simple or easy. What does it entail? We can’t even know the depth of the verse in Matthew unless we read, meditate, and study God’s Word.

We need to not simply read a verse here or there, hit or miss, but we need to be reading God's Word every day. This allows God to fill us with His perspective, principles, and guidance. We also need to be in regular communication with Jesus.

Can you imagine letting days, or weeks go by without talking or discussing things with your best friend? Would you ignore emails, posts, or letters sent? Umm. How often do we claim Jesus is our Savior and friend, yet ignore His Word and stop communicating with Him? Hard to know His direction without His input.

What happens when I ignore Him? Much easier to scream at the kids for messing up the living room or not cleaning their rooms. Much easier to sneak a look at that racy show that caught my interest, though it promotes everything God says is harmful to those He loves and created. Much easier to take offense at something said or done. Loving God--not with my mind.

Without His guidance, it is easier--and without as much guilt—to pass on that juicy piece of gossip. And complaints, they get easier, too, whether about the neighbor's tree branch that hangs over the fence or about the city blocking streets for construction. Instead of trying to help, I judge my neighbor for how she cares for her children. What a terrific witness I make with my better-than-thou attitude!

Loving the Lord, with all my heart, soul, and mind--and my neighbor as myself. Whew! I have a lot of maturing to do and it starts with a commitment to study God’s Word and to communicate with and listen to the One who loves me best--Jesus.

Help me, Jesus, not only claim I belong to You but help me to show both by my speech and actions that, indeed, I do love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Help me practice loving others as I follow You. Amen.

Meditations:
Monday: Deuteronomy 6:4-25
Tuesday: Mark 12:29-44
Wednesday: Luke 10:30-37
Thursday: Romans 3:9-10; Galatians 5:14-16
Friday: Ephesians 4:21-29
Saturday: James 2:1-10 & 4:8

(c) 2018, 2021 Carolyn R Scheidies
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From Listen! Who Me?