When asked, "Which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus hardly catches his breath before he gives and answer. (Mark 12:28-34)
"The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength."
It is the love of God where our devotion to God is shown.
Martin Luther's struggle was that he found it impossible to love a God who was forever looking for opportunities to condemn. In his world, Luther had been taught that unless he did this or avoided that he faced eternal condemnation. Finally, after an extremely long session in the confessional booth, the man hearing Luther's confession blurted out with exasperation, "All that is required is that you love God!" Luther, equally frustrated by the whole enterprise, replied, "Love God? I hate God!"
It is difficult to love a God whom we think to be looking for every opportunity to condemn us. It is easy to perceive God that way when we are taught that being a Christian is following this rule or abiding by that requirement. Jesus does not miss a beat when asked where it is that our justification begins; it starts with a love of God.
We love God because God loves us. We serve God out of this love.
It is my hope and prayer that you will enter this day confident of God's deep love for you. It is my hope and prayer that you will find your joy and your delight in loving God. It is in that relationship that we comprehend the persons God calls us to be.
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