(This article first appeared in the Late Summer 2021 newsletter.)
In the Old Testament God gave laws to the people through Moses as they were about to enter the promised land. What did Moses tell them?
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. —Deuteronomy 6:5
Centuries later, Jewish religious leaders, hoping to trap Jesus, asked Him what was the great commandment of the law. Jesus said,
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. —Mark 12:30
I’ve wondered why Jesus added the word “mind” to the quote from Deuteronomy. Several Bible commentators I’ve consulted say they believe Jesus and the Gospel writers were more concerned with the fullness of the command — obey God with everything you’ve got — than with copying the Old Testament text word for word. (There are other places where quoting the Old Testament is not done in a word-for-word fashion.)
This commandment is Christianity 101. The proverbial “man in the street” thinks being a Christian is simply to believe that there is a god, or else merely to be and do good. Scripture teaches there’s so much more and Deuteronomy 6:5 / Mark 12:30 is foundational.
Do you want your claim to be a Christian to be accurate? Then devote yourself to this foundational command.
Let’s look at the key words in this verse.
You Shall
“Shall” is a command word.
It’s not, “if you feel like it;” it’s, “do it.”
It’s not, “if you conclude you might get something out of it,” but “render this unto God, not expect something for yourself.”
It’s not, “believe that loving God is a good idea,” but, rather, “act on that idea.”
These words are a commandment.
Love the Lord your God
αγαπη agape ag-ah’-pay
Once again, we are not speaking fundamentally about emotion but about dutiful action. The word translated here as “love” is agape. Agape is about making a choice to do something good for someone else — and in this case that someone is God — often at some personal cost. There are other Greek words for love that speak of emotions and feelings. Agape is not primarily an emotional choice although emotions will figure in later.
Over the years as I studied the four parts of the person that are to love the Lord — heart, soul, mind, strength — I discovered most Bible scholars see them as overlapping in what they are and do.
Love with All Your Heart
καρδία kardia kar-DEE-ah
A consensus scholarly understanding of the term “heart,” is that, because it is the human (and animal) organ which is the center of blood circulation, the “heart” is to be seen as the seat of a person’s life.
As the center of a person’s being, the heart is the seat of thought, will, character, choices, conscience, purposes, endeavors, passions, desires, appetites, and affections. Some Scripture verses use καρδία to mean the whole person, while other verses mean just one of these aspects.
Did you note that the first half of this list of meanings — thought, will, character, choices, conscience, purposes, endeavors, — are rational and volitional, while the second half — passions, desires, appetites, and affections — are emotional?
Seen this way, we should conclude that while an emotional response to God is valid, it must be under the control of the mind and the will. It’s not irrational.
Love with All Your Soul
ψυχή psuché psoo-KHAY
The soul is what makes a person different from an animal. Unlike as it is with animals, humans were given a soul which gives us the ability to choose, not merely react according to instinct.
Moreover, a person is able to relate to God through his or her soul: “my soul thirsts for You …” (Psalm 63:1).
Further, a person’s soul is what makes that person different from someone else. In my personality type workshops I stress that because God has given us our own personality type and our job (with our effort, the help of others and the grace of God) is to become better versions of that, not try to become someone else whom we admire. One way to love God, therefore, is to become a better you.
Love with All Your Mind
διάνοια dianoia dee-AN-oy-ah
The mind is, of course, a person’s rational process of coming to discern, understand and believe what is true. To love the Lord with our mind is to believe what God teaches with Scripture being the final arbiter.
This is not anti-intellectualism. I defer to Scripture because it is smarter than me, just like I defer to my electrician and auto mechanic.
It is not “American middle class white man’s religion” either. Ours is not the first century having people comment on Scripture. Ours is not the only place in the world and ours is not the only culture having godly pastors and scholars interpret the Scriptures. The “consensus of the faithful” is what we seek. When I wrote my last book, Fifty Days of Glory, I made sure to consult and quote Scripture commentators from throughout Christian history. Additionally, I valued what I learned in the Asian Bible Commentary and the African Bible Commentary. The authors frequently had different insights.
Love with All Your Strength
ἰσχύς ischýs is-KHOOS
I am blessed by the insight of Colin Smith, Senior Pastor of the Orchard Evangelical Free Church in metro Chicago:
The word might or strength in Hebrew literally means ‘much-ness.’ Love God with all your ‘much-ness’! It means your substance, your possessions—all that God has given you.
While we are not saved by our works for God, saved people say thank you to God by doing good works (see Ephesians 2:8- 10). We are saved by grace to do works.
In the church of my youth, youngsters at age 12 united with the church on profession of faith. The pastor had a Scripture verse for each one of us. He gave me 1 Corinthians 15:58:
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
We Are Called to Love the Lord with Everything We Are and Everything We Have:
With our will / obedience
Do we obey His commandments?
With our affection
Do we have emotion for the Lord?
With how we relate to God personally
Is our prayer personal?
With our unique personality
Do I work to become a better me?
With our intellect
Do I believe what God’s Word says?
With our hard work
Do we give God our best effort?
As you look at this list I bet you’ll point to two or three of the items and say, “While there’s room for improvement, I think, and others tell me, that I do rather well at loving the Lord in those ways.” And you’re probably right.
Then I bet you’ll point to two or three of the items and say, “I really need to work hard on these. I’m letting the Lord down.” And you’re probably right.
Most of us motivated to love the Lord better would likely focus on where we are weak. While certainly we need to work in those areas, might I suggest you balance that work with working to improve where you’re already strong. Why? This is where you’re bearing spiritual fruit. Working only on your weaknesses will soon make you tired, frustrated and down on yourself. Balance it with working on your strengths.
Yes, obeying Jesus’ commandment to love the Lord is a duty, but because of all God has done and continues to do for us, and because He’s a personal friend, this work of love is something we want to do. And we know God is grateful and will bless us for it. +