Despite a summer head cold keeping me awake at night, my morning routine of journaling and reading remained unchanged. After completing these activities, I opted to catch up on some sleep. As I lay there, I reflected on the scripture I had read earlier, and a familiar verse suddenly came to mind.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, with all your strength. Mark 12:30
"Lord, how is the passage being lived out of my life?" I have read this scripture so many times I wonder, Lord, have I lost its meaning? All of my heart. What are the things that I love with all my heart? The first thing that comes to mind is my love for my family. There is nothing that I would not do for my family and even so very close friends. I believe they have all of my heart. They possess my heart - they live there. Nothing is more foundational about my life (excluding God) than my family. Everything stops to some degree when a need in my family arises. I earn an income to take care of my family. I enjoy being with my family, hanging out, or going on road trips together.
So, to answer the question - is this passage being lived out in my life? Yes and no would be the honest answer. Yes, I try to see my world, life, and relationship through the lens of God's word, His desire, and His character to reflect through my life. Yet, I fall desperately short here, too. To be captured by God all the time, no matter what my daily functions look like, is to have a heart of devotion embedded in my soul, intertwined in my mind with my thoughts and will, and to be muscled out in my energies living my life. As I lay in bed pondering this verse, this became a "Wowza" for me.
How can this be done? I thought. I have to have a mind's eye for God; in other words, to see God's creation, people, and activities from His perspective. He has made all that is before me; every person is created in His Image; every creature and my abilities to function in the activities of life come from Him. All things were made by Him, for Him, and He holds all things together, starting with me.
This perspective is all my heart toward Him. It is a perspective of thankfulness, humility, and curiosity. It is a posture of awe that lives in wonder at the Majesty of our God as His child. It is seeing life from His perspective through our eyes.
The heart of my life is the core of my being; this is my center, and everything from my life starts here. God is to live from the core of my being, which is lived out through Rob's personality, story, and gifts.
This seems a little radical, but with my short time on this earth and my limited knowledge, there is something to consider here. This is the first and greatest command that dates back thousands of years, speaking to countless people since it was first pinned. Can this be true? Does God of all creation want me to live my life so directly towards Him that He is my first consideration for everything? This seems radical, but then I was reminded that things that seem foolish in the world's eyes are the ways of wisdom of God. As a believer, my life is to look different. We are all messengers of what we believe to those around us.
The initial statement in Mark's passage emphasizes the importance of living from the core of one's being toward God and subsequently toward others. It is easy to overlook the clarity with which God communicates this message to us. Living from the core of my being, which encompasses my soul, mind, and strength, requires no further additions. The Creator instructs us to live towards Him first, as He is the One who designed and shaped us.
Thinking these thoughts lying in bed grabbed me enough to get back up and stroke this out on my keyboard. I pray you, like me, are enlightened by the love that Christ has for us. May our adoration for Him be reflected to Him in our lives and to others.
I guess it's time to start my day. :)
Peace, my friends.
Rob
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