Meditation today: hold nothing back
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the Lord alone! You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength ”. Mark 12: 29-30
Why would you choose anything less than loving the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind and with ALL your strength? Why would you choose anything less? Of course, we choose many other things to love in life, even if Jesus is clear with this commandment.
The truth is that the only way to love others, and also to love ourselves, is to choose to love God with ALL that we are. God must be the one and only center of our love. But what's amazing is that the more we do it, the more we realize that the love we have in our lives is the kind of love that overflows and overflows in overabundance. And it is this overflowing love of God that then pours out on others.
On the other hand, if we try to divide our loves with our efforts, by giving God only a part of our heart, soul, mind and strength, then the love we have for God cannot grow and overflow the way we do. God wills. We limit our ability to love and fall into selfishness. God's love is a truly amazing gift when it is total and all-consuming.
Each of these parts of our life is worth reflecting and examining. Think about your heart and how you are called to love God with your heart. And how does this differ from loving God with your soul? Perhaps your heart is more focused on your feelings, emotions and compassion. Perhaps your soul is more spiritual in nature. Your mind loves God as much as it probes the depth of His Truth, and your strength is your passion and your drive in life. Regardless of how you understand the various parts of your being, the key is that each part must love God fully.
Reflect today on the wonderful commandment of our Lord
Reflect today on the wonderful commandment of our Lord. It is a commandment of love, and it was given to us not so much for God's sake but for ours. God wants to fill us to the point of overflowing love. Why should we choose anything less?
My loving Lord, your love for me is infinite and perfect in every way. I pray to learn to love you with every fiber of my being, without holding back anything, and to deepen my love for you every day. As I grow in that love, I thank You for the overflowing nature of that love and pray that this love for You will flow into the hearts of those around me. Jesus I believe in you.