Taylor Jensen, Author at Fireplace Faith

You have always heard that we must "Love God with All our hearts." But what does that mean? You want to love God wholeheartedly but get distracted and wonder if it is possible to love God with all your heart. This post will explore what it means to love God with all your heart and provide three practical ways to determine whether you are. 1. Choosing Love for God Above All Else. When asked what is the most important commandment for all of Israel, Jesus answered in Mark 12:30 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 word Jesus uses for "heart" is the Greek word "kardia," from which we get the word cardiac. The first definition of the word means your literal heart. It also means "the center of your physical and spiritual life." When Jesus says to "love God with all your heart," he is saying to make God the center of your life. Jesus does not like the idea of God sharing first place in our lives. He tells us this in Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Though Jesus used money as the example here, this verse is not about money. It is about trying to serve two masters or making two different things the center of your life. He chooses money because that is usually the number one thing people try to serve. But this truth remains with anything trying to be a master in your life. We cannot equally serve God and something else with the same devotion; we must choose. Maybe you don't struggle with money, but another "master" competes for God's spot. How do you know? Well, is the direction of your life serving a career first? Is it the priority of your life to follow a specific family member, a ministry, or an organization? Is it the priority to serve yourself? Some other good questions to ask yourself to see if He is the center of your life and your main master is: Do you make time for His word? Do you make time to talk with Him throughout the day? If the moment comes to choose Him or something else, does He get the priority? We must not treat God as a secondary character in our lives. He is the main character, and everything else revolves around Him. Ask yourself, "What is most distracting me from God?" Then, reorganize your life so that God is prioritized and at the center. This is loving God with your heart. 2. Protecting the Treasure of Our Hearts The word "Kardia" also describes the heart as "the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, and affections." Jesus means that God is meant to be the center of our greatest passions and desires. He is to have our affection. We must periodically ask ourselves, "Am I passionate about my relationship with Jesus?" If not, then ask, "Where did that passion go?" How can I reignite my passion for Jesus again? (Read that article here.) Am I as affectionate with Him as I would be with my parents or spouse? Or do I treat Him as a formal, distant, far-off relative? Do I only go to Him when I need something? Do I only talk to Him at church? Loving God with all of our hearts concerns what we place our affections on. Our hearts can be easily influenced. Are we guarding our hearts' affections to ensure God gets the most affection? Jesus explains later, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21. Our hearts are treasure chests deeply connected to our emotions and even the direction of our lives. You place valuable items in a treasure chest and guard it to prevent theft. One of the primary aspects of loving God with all our hearts is learning how to guard and protect what we put into our hearts. Are we protecting our hearts from things that steal away love from God? Are we seeking to purify our hearts, or will we allow anything from this world into them? Jesus gave us a direct relationship between pure hearts and our connection with God when He said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." in Matthew 5:8 One of the best ways to love God with all your heart is to value your heart and ensure that the most valuable pieces go to God. 3. When God's Purposes are your Purposes Finally, the word "Kardia" Jesus uses for "heart" also means "the seat of our purpose and endeavors." Am I setting my primary purpose towards God? Have I put my main endeavors in life towards loving Him? Or is my primary purpose to make money, get a career, or make an impact? Are my life endeavors just about me, or are they about His kingdom? As long as I do not make God's endeavors my endeavors, I am not fully giving Him my heart. What are God's endeavors? Well, Jesus gives us one main priority in His heart. Right after stating that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts, He then brings up a second great commandment. He says, in Mark 12:31, "The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Jesus constantly emphasizes that you can truly love Him with your heart by loving others. This is why He says that when someone needs a shirt, give Him yours; when someone needs water, give Him a drink. And in doing so, you have clothed Him and given Him water. (Matthew 25:35) This is why He says, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35, NASB) This includes everyone, even those who hate you! "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… (Mt. 5:44-46)" We can love God with our hearts by showing his love to everyone. No one gets off the hook. I must love even my enemy if I am to love God with all my heart. That person who hates you, reviles you, and talks bad about you—what would it look like to still show them love? We must always ask God, "What does love look like in this situation?" Asking God how to love that person practically is a way to truly love Him with all your heart. So, can you know that you are truly loving God with all your heart? Yes, you can! How? By making Him the center of your life, protecting the affections of your heart, and loving others the way he would, you are truly loving Him with all your heart. What are other ways that we can Love God with all our heart? Leave a comment and let the community know!

Taylor Jensen

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