Wholehearted: A 7-Day Standard Operating Procedure for Loving GodSample

The Pharisees asked Jesus what the most important commandment was. Jesus replied, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31).

As Jesus frequently did, he quoted Scripture. In Deuteronomy, God laid the foundation for the rest of the commandments. Before God told the Israelites what he expected of them regarding their behavior, he said they must first love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, and soul. Like the Israelites, we must also love the Lord with our whole being. We will feel compelled to honor God in all we do because of this type of love.

Basic training serves as a similar foundation for members of the military. In the Army, recruits are taught they are first and foremost riflemen. In January 2008, I arrived at my basic training unit and was issued a rifle that the United States Army expected me to account for at all times. We were also given the Soldier’s manual and were required to carry it at all times. Anytime we had free time, we were to study the manual. These were all purposeful in transforming us into uniformed members of the military.

I remember how difficult it was for me to leave everyone and everything behind. The Army told us when and what to eat, which clothes to wear, the time to go to sleep, and when to rise. My Type A personality ached as I conformed. I stuck it out and became a proud Soldier in the Army. My time in the military shaped me into who I am today. My heart for my nation has evolved, and I now value the liberties that Americans enjoy more. My mind has been transformed from civilian ways of thinking, and I have created physical habits that have stayed with me, over a decade later.

Like Jesus told the Pharisees, we are transformed when we love God with our whole being. Then out of our love for God, our love for others flows. Over the next seven days, we will learn how to love God in each one of these areas practically.

Are you ready to be transformed as you learn to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength?