Just a quick note ~ I've not been quite myself for the past 2 weeks (not covid), so please forgive my wooly head if it is rather noticeable in my posts! I tend to just write as I think, like I'm talking to you (often with interruptions), so there may be a distinct flavour of rambling with hints of disjointed thoughts ... I value honesty, so what you see / hear is what you get but I sometimes fear that I may over do it and be too raw but hey ho, that's me here so you'll just have to continue to 'bear with' ... (love you!)
Deuteronomy 6v5: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Joshua 22v5: But be very careful to ... love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him ... to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Matthew 22v37: Jesus replied "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind".
Luke 10v27: He answered "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, love your neighbour as yourself".
Mark 12v44: They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on.
Matthew 6v33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Romans 8v32&37: ... how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ... in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Ok that'll do for verses although there are many more. You'll get the point!
I've been wondering about the 'all'. Don't you think we compartmentalise and portion out our energy a lot, maybe because we feel we have to, to survive? We engage on many levels in many streams of life, always busy thinking about something but not really able to give 'it' our full attention or devotion. How can we when we're pulled in so many directions?!
Yet God asks that we give Him our ALL! How can we expect to receive ALL the things he has promised and wants to bestow upon us unless we give Him our ALL?
I'm just struggling to work out what that really means. How do I give Him all my love? I thought I'd talk it out with you to see if it helps me process through it and work out how to move forward being able to love Him more. It's valentines month so it seemed appropriate to talk a little bit about love.
You may have a similar thought to me regarding giving all. How can it work? How can I give all my love to God but also love others ... spouse, partner, children, relatives, friends, enemies (another challenging command!). How do I know I'm loving with all my mind, heart, soul, strength?
After I'd had my firstborn child I experienced a love totally different to anything I'd known before. It was all consuming and I knew I'd do anything for that child (still would) ... his life was far more important than mine and I would sacrifice anything for him. Then less than 2 years later I found out that I was expecting twins. I honestly felt torn. How could I love them as much as I loved my nearly 2 year old? I felt guilty.
A friend from my local tennis club explained it this way ... Ingrid, it's like having a chocolate cake (or something you really love!); it's a whole and you love it ... how on earth can you divide that cake into 3 parts now and portion off some of that love to 2 others? Not possible. I couldn't dimmish the love that I had for number 1 / take some away to give to others. She reassured me that I wouldn't need to ... she said, you don't have to share the chocolate cake, you just get 2 more cakes! Each one whole, each one loved. I wouldn't have to divide my existing love from number 1 to incorporate 2 and 3 ... nope, I would simply be given more love to dish out! Each child is loved equally and to the full. My love isn't compromised or divided between them; I simply have more love, enough love so that everyone is loved by me to the fullest potential possible. It would be the same if there were more than 3 or if like some of you, you have a different special person in your life. I know full well that if God brought someone new into my life for me to love, that I wouldn't lessen my love for my children, but that I would have even more love to share and give to that person. Not a problem!
By the same token I'm beginning to think (as I type) that I can therefore love God with all I have. In fact, by loving my children in the way that I do, I am loving God because He wants me to show His love to them (which I need to work on).
What are the 4 things mentioned?
Heart; Soul; Strength; Mind
It would take a much more versed theologian and teacher than me to go into each one and expound truth. In fact it could end up being a series of teaching sessions! Just think about them and relate them in the best way you know how, to existing relationships, then translate that to God ... look into His word to find verses to support each aspect of love. In truth, we are to love God in every department of our lives, using our intelligence, our physical ability, our emotions, our perspective and sense of identity and purpose. With Him first in our lives and guiding us like an inbuilt compass, our love outward to anyone else will be true, sure, steadfast, faithful and hugely expressive ... a longing and commitment like no other. This love is more than what dreams are made of!
Taking it a step further to the outcome beyond the immediate feeling of that extreme love, there is a natural knock on effect. We will want to live in obedience to God's word and we will want to give all. That amazes me ... imagine being that woman who gave all she had ... I don't get it ... what about her retirement plan; what about saving for a holiday; what about a fund for maintenance like if the washing machine breaks; what about the kids education; what about property investment and so on? What does it mean to give all and to obey all? It sure is a high standard and I have so much to learn to even remotely reach the lower rungs of that ladder. It's one thing to give when we still have our various accounts looking healthy for all other eventualities; it's another thing entirely to give all and have nothing to fall back on.
I currently live in a rented cottage. I have money to put toward purchasing a house. It would be crazy to give that up ... not logically sound at all, especially as I am responsible for my children's welfare and future. What if God required it of me? Would I give it up? How would I know? Big questions to which I cannot give the answers. I just wish to challenge myself to reflect and seriously consider what this obedience and giving means and could require. After all, in my previous post I put that we have a good, good Father and so we do ... therefore, if He loves me beyond comprehension and I truly believe that whatever He wants from me is for my best, then why should I even hesitate to give and obey other than my all.
I believe, despite not being able to fully do it, that if I could live this way, that I would be transformed ... recall that verse about being "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12v2) which comes as a result of not being conformed to the pattern of this world. It leads to the ability to test / approve God's good, perfect and pleasing will. We will also enter into the transformation process of becoming more like Him, into His image (2 Corinthians 3v18).
Most business sectors go through transformation. I've worked within the transformation team at a local NHS trust and have worked within the local authority for years during many transformations ... it used to make my eyes roll when they unveiled the latest transformation plan. When would we ever actually be transformed?! It seemed an endless process, which I think is still on-going. It could never actually succeed or reach fulfillment, as there was always more to change, further savings to find, services to trim, budgets to cut, but a greater need to service. A sort of necessary bonkers system!
Think about super heroes ... a lot of the favourites in my home are the type that transform. How handy to have an amazing robot which has transforming power to turn into a police car and save the day!
We have the transforming power of God's love in our hearts, minds, souls and strength. Let us acknowledge it and use it, but first, let us love Him with all that we have and are. I truly believe that the rewards and blessings that will follow for us to receive, will be so vastly beyond what we can imagine or comprehend, that we will just want to love Him the more. What a rather blessed existence.
Of course with all this love and recognition for the one from whom it flows, the source of all goodness, we will become transformers! Others will bear witness and desire the source, our good, good Father in heaven. Others will benefit from the outpouring of this love from us. We will transform communities through kindness and compassion. We will be involved in good works. We will value and share hospitality. We will endeavour to help those in need ... refugees; victims of abuse or human trafficking; the homeless; those addicted to anything which is causing them harm; children requiring adoption; loneliness; vulnerable groups ... I could fill a page. Also, we will look after our planet; our land; our country; uphold righteousness; look after our bodies; care about our neighbours and so on. We can be and most likely already are in many ways, super heroes.
Just remember that true super heroes are about one thing ... helping and saving others. There's no place for pride or boasting. After all, we are only able to transform into living out the power of God's love by being loved by Him in the first place. It is not of ourselves but through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So let us reflect on His love and in so doing, give Him our all.
Sending love through a blog!
Ingrid x
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive". (Dalai Lama)
"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier". (Mother Teresa)
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you". (Jesus Christ) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.
And to finish off, a song ... "Let my life be the proof of Your love" ... The Proof of Your Love by 'for King & Country':
https://youtube.com/watch?v=OgqYYk-0wDs&feature=share
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