How busy are you on a typical week? Moving from one activity to the next and filling our calendar with commitments can be exhausting. We may be doing lots of really good things, but can we actually do any of them well when we have so much on our plate?
It’s easy to confuse our busyness with purpose. Being busy might make us feel important, or our perception of worthiness may be tied to what we do instead of who we are. But maybe we’re not supposed to be consumed with activity every hour of the day, and instead focus on doing a few things really well.
Many of the religious leaders in Jesus’ time had made the law complicated and burdensome. There were many things “to do” in order to maintain good standing, but when one of these scribes came to ask Jesus about the greatest commandment, it didn’t turn into a long-winded technical debate.
Jesus had a simple answer. It’s not about the breadth of things you do, it’s about the depth in which you do them. Love God and love people with everything you’ve got!
We can’t love God with just one compartment of our being. We can’t just serve Him by attending a church service for an hour on Sunday or sending up an occasional prayer. We can’t honor Him with our mouth but set our hearts on material things. He is meant to be Lord over our WHOLE lives.
Jesus gives us the greatest commandment and a follow up:
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Love others as yourself.
Let’s focus on these two things today: How can I love God more fully and what can I do to show love to others?
Mark 12:28-34
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
