You’ve heard me say that I love the Accordance software for my iPad. It’s so helpful to be able to see and understand the Greek and Hebrew words used in the original text of the Bible, especially when you don’t actually know the language.

One such text that is oh-so-wonderful when looked at in the original language is the well known text of Mark 12:29-30. Here, a scribe comes to Jesus and asks Him what the first, or greatest, commandment is. The answer that Jesus gives is one that we all know – “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

But what does that easily and often quoted verse mean? How does it translate into our actual, day to day lives? Because unless I take a scripture and apply it to my life, what good does it do me to be able to quote it?

As I was studying through Accordance yesterday, I decided this might be a crucial verse to understand the meaning of in its entirety. What’s so different about loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Why not simply say love God with all you are? For there to be a distinction, surely there must be a reason. And oh yes, there definitely is.

• Love God with all your heart, that is, with all of your desire & affection. Make your relationship with God the thing that you desire the most. Don’t let other things slip into the wrong priority – always make your relationship with God the very thing you seek after most.
• Love God with all your soul, that is, with every breath. Every instance of your life is to be consumed with God and following Christ. Every breath you take should a breath with which you are going about doing God’s work; enhancing your personal relationship with Him or helping someone else with theirs. As has been stated multiple times in the last week in circles I’m a part of–if Christianity is easy & just a walk in the park, you’re not doing something right. True Christianity — being a true disciple of Jesus Christ — takes your every breath. It involves your entire life.
• Love God with all your mind, that is, with every thought and with all of your comprehension. Let God and His Word consume your thoughts. Use passages like Philippians 4:8 to meditate on beautiful, Godly things. Show your love for your heavenly Father by engaging your mind in wholesome, pure, lovely things — things that would honor and glorify Him, not things that should make us blush.
• Love God with all your strength, that is, all of your power & ability. This one seems to be two-fold. On the one hand, we see that we should love God with everything that is within us: we should push ourselves and work for Him as much as we possibly can, knowing that rest will come in heaven. On the other hand, though, it seems that we are to love God and show that love to Him with our abilities. Our Creator has given us all talents and abilities that we should be using to glorify Him. While each of us have differing talents, we all have things that we can use to honor our Maker. Truly, if we are using the lives & abilities we’ve been given to further the message of Christ , we are pleasing to our Father above.

Sometimes, it’s easy to skim over a verse that you’ve heard a hundred times or more. Sometimes, it’s easy to apply a meaning to a verse without actually taking the time to see what the verse is saying. Sometimes, it’s easier not to know, because when we do, we find that we’re lacking–at least, I find that I am lacking severely. Is my every thought Christ-like, or focused upon my Savior and what He’s done for me? Is my every breath uttering words of praise and exhortation? Do I sound like the Savior? Do I use every waking moment to glorify Him? Do I push myself, lest I become lazy and a worthless servant? Do I push myself more when it comes to things I enjoy–like exercise, vacations, etc? Do I make God my priority? Do I make Him more than my priority–do I make Him my life?

Jesus tells us that the first and greatest command is to love God. It seems simple, but really, it is a 24/7, lifelong commitment. There is never a moment when we can slack off in our love and devotion to our God. There is never a moment–no breath–in which loving God should not be the central-most part of who we are. I challenge you today, as I challenge myself, to make loving God–truly, whole-heartedly loving God–a priority. It’s a full time job, but the benefits are out of this world.