Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:29–30 nkjv)
We need to love God with all of our strength. That means all of our energy. It’s interesting that the word the gospel of Mark uses for “strength” also means “ability.” I love that. But what does that tell us about loving God?
God has given all of us talents and abilities. And when we use those talents and abilities in church, or in vocation, or in relationships with others, we can approach it one of two ways—we can seek glory for ourselves, or we can look to glorify God.
You see, to love God with all of our energy, with all of our abilities, with all of our spiritual gifts, means to serve the Lord in ministry. It’s a way of expressing our love to Him. It means holding nothing back when it comes to our energy level in showing our love for God. It means that when we’re using all that energy in our vocations or in school, we’re doing it because it is pleasing to God to make the most of our abilities for Him. We are loving God with all of our strength, with all of our being.
So, are you strong in your love for God?
