How to Love God

When the Pharisees asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment in the Law, He told them, " ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:37–38).

This is known as the Shema, something that every Jew would have memorized. Jesus was effectively saying that instead of worrying about which commandments were lesser or greater, get back to this: love God with all of your being, and all of these things will be sorted out. It makes complete sense, doesn’t it? Because really if I love the Lord my God with all of my heart, soul, and mind, then I naturally will want to do what He wants me to do.

Jesus then added, "And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (verses 39–40).

The Ten Commandments are divided into two sections. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The final six deal with our relationship with others. If I love God with all of my heart, soul, and mind, then I will not want to have another god before Him or worship an idol or take His name in vain. And if I love my neighbor as I love myself, then I will not want to steal from or kill him or covet something that belongs to her. The idea is that if I can fully grasp this basic truth of loving God, then everything else will find its proper place.

So to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind means loving Him with every part of our being.