Sunday, March 23, 2014

The Greatest Commandments by Ann Broughton




“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: Love your neighbor as yourself”
(Mark 12: 30-31 NIV).

How are you showing that you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?  Jesus told a teacher of the law that these were the two most important commandments. You see if you do them both you will fulfill what Jesus taught while He was on this earth. If you love someone, you want to show it in many ways. You will not ignore them. You will want to be with them constantly and talk with them. You will want to please them and do whatever it takes to make them happy. So it is when you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You will want to spend time alone praying to Him with gratitude for all He has done for you. You will want to do what He would do for others: such as giving to the poor, caring for the widows, encouraging those who are sick, and putting others' needs above your own needs.
Jesus said that He came to do His Father’s will. Jesus said, “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29 NIV).  So too must we do what pleases the Lord. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him” (John 14: 21 NIV). You see to love the Lord is wonderful but we also must do what He commands us to do. We must show others that being a Christian means that we must put other peoples' needs above our own needs.
This week take a good hard look at how your life reflects Jesus and His teachings. Take time to help others and show His love to those around you. There are so many people in your life who need a kind word or help in some way. Sometimes it is so easy to become self-centered. Try to look past your own difficulties and see what acts of kindness you can do to help those who are suffering.
Dear Lord,
We know it is not enough to say we love you. Help us to reach out to others who have difficulties. Don’t let us get caught up in our own problems so much that we forget to love others and help ease their burdens.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Perseverance: A devotion by Ann Broughton

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