Loving God with an intentional love encompassing heart, soul, mind and strength, owns the position of the first and greatest commandament. Most familiar as uttered by Christ in the gospels, the commandment known as the “Shema” first appeared in Deuteronomy 6:4-5.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Welcome to Mindfulness Monday! Where we learn some easy ways to be more present “in the moment” at our jobs, in our homes, with our families and friends.
Learning to recognize God and what He has for us in each divine moment He offers. We acknowledge the belief that God is with us always.
We confess His presence is available to us, lifting our spirit and helping us with power and grace. Learning the art of “stillness” so we can hear His voice and view ourselves, others and our surroundings through His eyes.
an intentional love of god
Arriving in February, thoughts often turn to “love” with Valentine’s Day’s emphasis on romantic love. But true, biblical love portrays a deeper, more fulfilling love. A love sourced in a God of love who loving us first, ( 1 John 4:19), pulls us into intimacy with Him, overflowing in genuine love for others.
A love of this caliber begins first with an intentional love of God, encompassing heart, soul, mind and strength. Join me each week for Mindfulness Monday as we explore intentional ways of loving God and others.
When confronted with the question, “which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus quoted the Shema in Mark 12:30. Making plain our obedience stems from first loving God fully, indicating all fulfillment of the law pivots on this command.
All true obedience of God’s commandments flows from a deep, intimate love of God. One summed up by Christ as encompassing every facet of our being.
Truly embracing the command in Mark 12:30 reveals a monumental task. How do we intentionally love God with ALL our hearts, souls, minds and strength?
An intentional love encompassing the heart
Western culture views emotions and heart as one in the same. But biblically the center of the will flows from the heart. (Proverbs 4:23) We express our “will” through desires, which gives us a better understanding of the heart as the seat of desires.
Emotions, morals and motivation all find their influence in the will and desires, affecting decisions and lifestyle choices. Which explains the psalmist’s directive in Psalm 37:4:
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
As you seek delight in the Lord, He then gives you the heart desires illustrating your love for Him. Rather than granting your desires, He places His desires in your heart.
What does loving God with all your heart look like?
a heart only for god
After securing a quiet spot free of disruption, begin with a few moments of slow, deep, mindful breathing. Shift into an attitude of prayer, asking God to give you the desires of your heart which most illustrate your love for Him.
- Love God with an undivided heart.
- What treasure claims your heart?
- What one thing drives your decisions, lifestyle choices, and motivates your actions?
- What one person brings you the greatest joy when you spend time with them?
- Love God with your emotions.
- How do your emotions reflect God to others?
- How can you praise Him with your smile, your happiness, your gratitude?
- How can you honor Him when disappointment, sorrow or anger take hold?
- Love God with a contented heart.
- Where do you see covetousness displayed in your life?
- Where does jealousy most occur?
- How can you better harness the spirit of complaining?
Move through these questions while journaling or simply moments of consideration. At times the questions spark other questions as the Holy Spirit begins a work in your heart. Avoid rushing through, perhaps more than one session may be helpful.
an intentional love encompassing the soul
Arriving at the second step of an intentional love of God encompassing heart, soul, mind and strength, positions you for loving God with all your soul.
A person’s soul comprises the eternal portion of his being; the part of him or her which lives on after death. At salvation, the soul receives new life through the Spirit of God becoming alive to God and dead to sin. (Romans 6:5-11)
The Old Testament further describes the soul as the breath of God, or the gift of physical life. (Genesis 2:7)
From this perspective, how do you love God with all of your soul?
a submitted soul
After securing a quiet spot free of disruption, begin with a few moments of slow, deep, mindful breathing. Shift into an attitude of prayer, asking God to reveal how your gift of physical life right now and your future eternal life demonstrates your love for Him.
- Love God with a surrendered life.
- How do you spend the majority of your time?
- How are you serving God in your home, job, and community?
- What is your attitude toward charitable giving?
- Love God with a view to eternity.
- Do you trust God with your eternal destination?
- Do you trust God’s sovereign work in your life with a view to eternity?
- Do you view living your physical life from an eternal perspective?
Move through these questions while journaling or simply moments of consideration. At times the questions spark other questions as the Holy Spirit begins a work in your heart. Avoid rushing through, perhaps more than one session may be helpful.
an intentional love encompassing the mind
Moving through each area of our complete being, considering how each several part expresses love for Creator God, we now arrive at the mind.
Perhaps the easiest understood of the four, it has the potential as the most difficult for directing into consummate love of God.
Home of thoughts, knowledge, intellect, and perspectives, makes it a prime target for lies, fantasies, deceptions and prejudices. Which explains Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:2 for the renewal of our minds.
Taking Christ’s directive to love God with all of your mind seriously, where do you begin?
a mind for god
After securing a quiet spot free of disruption, begin with a few moments of slow, deep, mindful breathing. Shift into an attitude of prayer, asking God to reveal areas where your mind requires renewal so that you may honor Him.
- Love God with your thoughts.
- Which thoughts do you need to take captive, that they may obey Christ?
- Indentify the lies keeping you from focusing on God.
- How can your thoughts be more God-centered?
- Love God with your knowledge and intellect.
- How can you use your education, intellect or knowledge for serving God?
- How can you meditate on scripture more often?
- How can you grow in your knowledge of God?
- Love God with your world view.
- Which areas of your world view differ from God’s?
- How does your service for God align with your world view?
- Which of your perspectives or opinions offend God?
Move through these questions while journaling or simply moments of consideration. At times the questions spark other questions as the Holy Spirit begins a work in your heart. Avoid rushing through, perhaps more than one session may be helpful.
an intentional love encompassing the strength
Strength, the final aspect of an intentional love for God encompassing the heart, soul, mind and strength, plays out in our actions. The previous three; heart, soul and mind become evident in our words and actions.
Loving God completely with your heart, soul, and mind flows forth in a symphony of service, worship and obedience.
Loving God with all your strength begins with presenting your entire being as a living sacrifice, dedicated to honoring and obeying Him. (Romans 12:1)
How will you love God with all of your strength?
strength which honors god
After securing a quiet spot free of disruption, begin with a few moments of slow, deep, mindful breathing. Shift into an attitude of prayer, asking God to reveal areas where your words and actions fail to show love for Him.
- Love God with your words.
- What do your words say about your relationship with God?
- How do you represent God with your words?
- Are your words full of praise and trust in God for others to hear or full of complaints, whining or discontent?
- Love God with your actions.
- If someone observed your interactions with others on the job, at home or in the community would they know you loved God?
- Which habits indicate your love for God?
- How do you use your resources as an indication of your love for God?
- Love God with your abilities.
- How are you using your spiritual gifting to display your love for God?
- How can you better use your abilities and talents in building God’s Kingdom?
- How can you better use your abilities as a faithful witness of God’s love?
Move through these questions while journaling or simply moments of consideration. At times the questions spark other questions as the Holy Spirit begins a work in your heart. Avoid rushing through, perhaps more than one session may be helpful.
an intentional love encompassing heart, soul, mind and strength
Truly loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength presents a monumental task. Ultimately impossible for humans with a fallen, sin nature. Yet Christ dubbed it as “the Greatest Commandment”. Why give a command impossible to obey?
Christ gives this commandment precisely to drive us deeper into God.
Each time we fail in loving God, we come to Him for cleansing, healing and forgiveness. Growing in deeper knowledge of Him in turn increases our love and obedience for Him.
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Thank you for this post on intentional love encompassing our heart, soul, mind and strength. I feel like I need to print it out and sit before the Lord with it – intentionally listening to Him. Thank you for being a vessel of His love to help me go deeper with Him. I appreciate your gems of truth.
Lisa, I’m so pleased you found this post helpful. I know it is a lot of information! I think the best way is to concentrate on one area at a time and see how the Lord leads!
Donna,
This article is packed with beautiful, practical information. These words grabbed me, “Rather than granting your desires, He places His desires in your heart.” I pray that in my seeking Him, He will continually fill and direct my heart according to His desires.
Thank you for linking up and blessing me today with this post.
Peace and grace,
Tammy
Thank you, Tammy for taking the time to read my post! I rejoice in you finding a blessing here today. Remembering God gives me his own desires truly helps me stayed focused and blessed on what he has for me!
This is such a beautiful post, Donna. Loving God intentionally takes time, focus, and purposeful action. I love the visual your words created when you said “symphony of service, worship, and obedience.” All of those things need to work together to make beautiful music for our Lord.
Thank you for your kind words, Lisa! I believe loving God intentionally changes duty into worship! I love that word picture too, God wanted me to see the beauty of a life lived with intention in loving him.