The Two Most Important Commandments - LOVE (part 1)
I want to share an article that I wrote for Moms of Faith.
I will post it in several segments...
Love is mentioned well over 350 times in the Bible. I'm sure God must be trying to tell us something. We will start our study with Matthew 22:37-38; And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the most important and first commandment.
I am sure that we have all heard this verse many times in our Christian lives. But, do we really get it? How do we love God? Why should we love God? Let's explore How to love God today, and tomorrow we'll get into why.
How Do We Love Him?
It is very simply stated by Jesus in John 14:15, If you really love me, you will keep (obey) my commands. As simple as it sounds....it seems to be a very difficult task....or is it? Well, yes and no. If we study the Word, get it into our hearts and minds; it is easier to submit to the Holy Spirit...
However, when we fill our minds with the world, i.e.,
Soap Operas - which encourage adultery, lust, impurity, fornication, lies, deceit, and many other sinful desires. I struggled with these for years. I didn't just watch one...not even just one channel. I would watch one channel and tape another. I was watching six different daytime dramas and several evening ones. I eventually cut back and convinced myself that was good enough. But, no, God wanted me to lay them all down. My mind had become so absorbed with this unrealistic, ungodly world. I didn't want to let go. Of course I eventually did...not without a fight though. The enemy was on full attack mode when I decided to submit to the Lord (obey His commands). I kid you not my TV would just turn on at the precise moment, my VCR would start taping when I didn't set it to, and the grocery store checkout...It was ugly. I didn't give up...and now I am FREE!
Entertainment Magazines - which are filled with gossip, wrong information, slander, hurtful situations in human lives, and really none of our business anyway. These were another stronghold in my life. My favorite was In Touch...or like my husband used to call it, "in touch with the devil." LOL. Let me tell you, I loved these things. I had to know who was cheating on whom, and what this one said about that one....I'm sure there are some of you who know exactly what I am talking about.
Guess what? God wanted these put down too. My flesh fought hard. Honestly, I still have to catch myself. Those grocery store checkout lines are filled with them...I try hard not to even look at them. I am happy to say that I no longer buy them...or even touch them.
Secular music - which is mostly provocative lyrics, self, and worldly principals.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that every non-Christian song is sinful. I'm saying be careful what goes in. It will come out. The Bible says in Galatians 6:7 that we reap what we sow. If we sow junk into our minds we will reap junk. If your searching through the stations looking for a good song to listen to...make sure it is good for your spirit not your flesh.
These examples are ones many Christian women face. You may be thinking I have gone too far...I don't know what I'm talking about. Yes, I do. I know because the Word tells me so.
In I John 2:15 it says, Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. if anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life or stability of earthly things - these do not come from the Father, but are from the world itself. And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides forever.
Next time we will discuss WHY we should love God...
Note: All Scripture was taken from the Amplified Translation.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
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1 comment:
Great insight. I gave up soap operas too but not the magazines. You really opened up my eyes. i read that trash mostly when I am working out on the bike or elliptical. But I know I shouldn't. I will stop
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