One of the verses I use in class is Matthew 22:37 - "And He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'" (Mark, in his version, adds strength as well.) Jesus is here responding to a pharisee who has asked, what is the most important commandment? His reply is one that we have heard so often that, in churches, I think it may almost have become a cliche - we say it, but we no longer think about what it really means.
So, what does is Jesus asking of us? "Love God with all your heart" is an emotional concept - God is more important to you than anything else. "Soul" in this context means "life," to literally give up your life to whatever it is that God asks you to do. "Strength" implies the things that you have; not only physical strength, but our money, our time, our skills, and any other thing - all that we possess is given up to God. Finally, "mind" refers to our intellect, our thoughts, and what we learn, say, and create.
That's a lot to consider, the four different aspects of our being. I think, though, that we can just as easily sum it up by saying, "all that we are." Everything about our lives is to be dedicated to God at all times. There is no time when that is not to be the case. Of course, it is easy to write and say it (hence this verse becoming a cliche), but its practice is a lifetime of effort, thought, self-evaluation, and action. I have often said that Christianity is "the thinking man's religion." To put this commandment into effect, we have to truly think and ponder on what it means, and how it will - and must - affect our lives. Fortunately, God gives us the strength and wisdom (through the Spirit) to put that in effect. And that is a very good thing!
Love,
Dad
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