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40 DAYS OF LENT: DAY #11
WORD OF TODAY: Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV)
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. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
THOUGHTS ON THE WORD:
The perfect Christian walk is summarized by Jesus for all to hear. In this saying, Jesus restates what was said by the LORD to the people of God through the voice of Moses, Deuteronomy 6:4-5. These words express the true nature of the Christian heart.
We are challenged today to consider our love toward God. Is it with all of our heart? Is it with all our soul (to the depths of our very being)? Is it with all of our mind? Consider what this really means, how our walk should be completely given in love to the Lord our God, not 99.99%....but 100%.
Likewise, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. We do not wish ourselves to suffer or be condemned; therefore, we should not wish suffering or condemnation upon our neighbors. We wish to be found forgiven, restored, saved for eternity. Consider how loving the Lord our God is expressed in the fullness of all that you are, all that you think, and all that you do. Consider how that reflects upon your love of self, and your love toward others.
Consider today the areas of your life that might reveal a true and complete love of God. How does loving yourself, and your neighbor as yourself reinforce this complete love of God?