Staff Devotion Luke 10:27

Intro

This week, let’s get really practical! This past Wednesday, I shared these thoughts with the church and, as basic as they are, they are great reminders for each of us as we walk through the Christian life!

Luke 10:27 “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”

This is what it is all about! Loving God with all that you have, and loving your neighbor as well as you love yourself. Now, there is a lot we could unpack here (especially as it relates to how loving your neighbor means you have to love yourself) but let’s stick to the first part this week!

Heart

The Lord begins this practical list of steps by telling us that we are called to love God with our whole heart. Now, we have heard that our whole lives, at least our whole Christian lives. But, what does that look like practically?

Keeping Your Heart Pure

This is how it starts. In order to love a Holy God, we must have a holy heart. Now, we know that this will never fully be the case until we one day reach heaven. But, it is the goal to which we are to strive! Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.”

This verse comes when David is in a state of repentance. Now, he is not asking God to make his heart perfect, but to make his motives pure. This is what a pure heart means: pure motives. This is what God calls us to. This is how we love God with all of our heart. The natural next step is to keep your heart focused on God!

Keeping Your Heart Focused on God

An totally impure heart cannot focus on God, only a redeemed heart covered by the blood of Jesus. Now, we know, again, that our hearts will never be totally pure. That is why salvation is necessary for our dirty motives.

But, once Christ redeems us, then our motives must be redeemed as well and we must keep out motivations on God and His Kingdom. Anything less is a disservice to God.

Soul

God tell us next that in order to love God well we must love Him with all of our soul. What does this mean?

Salvation

Firstly, it has to be talking about salvation! Our souls are eternal, they belong to an eternal God, and they long for an eternal heaven. In order to love God with all of our soul, we must accept His forgiveness and be born again. We must have a redeemed soul — a relationship with God.

Sanctification

Which leads to sanctification. Each part of you must be redeemed and each part of you must be sanctified. You know what this means! Walking with the Shepherd everyday (Psalm 23). You must rely on God’s sustaining power to carry you — and He will carry you. Love God with all your soul!

Strength

God continues … love Me with all your strength! But … how? We are so weak!

Ask For It

So, ask for it! Ask God for the strength to love Him well. Ask Him for the strength to serve Him well. Ask Him for strength to continue well. Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”

Ask for things, with that pure heart and redeemed soul, and expect an answer! Ask God for the strength you need.

Use It For the Kingdom!

Then use it! don’t neglect God’s gift. Use the strength God gives you to love Him well. Don’t use it for sordid gain! Love God with all your motives, surrender your soul to a good God, and use that good strength that you have asked for to give Him praise and love.

Mind

Finally, love God with all your mind. In order to do this you have to have the mind of Christ! Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Junk in. Junk out.

Friends, be careful what you allow to enter your mind. Growing up the Sunday School song went “Oh be careful little eyes what you see. Oh be careful little ears what you hear” etc. Why did we learn this? Because it is biblical! What you put in will become who you are. As a child of God, put in righteous things. Fill your mind with God’s Word.

Take Every Thought Captive

2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

Take captive every thought that comes into your mind and place it under the submission of a Holy God! Don’t allow sinful thoughts to overpower you, take them captive. Don’t allow sin to rule in your mind, rather, by the power and love of YHWH God, take it captive and submit it all to the power of Jesus and grace.

Conclusion

Loving God is natural to some and foreign to others. Jesus knew this would be the case so He gave us practical steps to love God with all we are. Every part of your body, mind, and soul must be in constant submission to God as the Lord of your life. Love Him and love Him well. Luke 10:27 “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”