Day 18 of 21 – Love vs. Self

Scripture:   “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Observation:   Love is truly the greatest and purest of all motivating forces. 1 John 4:8 declares, “God is love.” We are never more like Him than when we choose to love God and others above serving ourselves. St. Augustine is accredited with the phrase, “Love, and do as you please.” The command is simple and concise. Human nature, however, is selfish (the antithesis of love) and so we justify our sin and complicate our own lives. We blur the black and white into shades of gray. We develop self-serving ideologies that share the veneer of terminology with genuine faith, but what lies beneath the surface is dead and dangerous religion, devoid of genuine relationship with either God, or other people.

Jesus was basically saying that it all can be summed up in two sentences. We need the rest of the 66 books to combat our justifications and show us what love does and does not look like. I don’t need a law to tell me not to steal from you. I love God and trust in His provision. I love you and wouldn’t want to hurt you in that way. Remember the law is only for the unlawful (1 Timothy 1:9). If the word of God seems like a restriction to you, it is likely that you are still struggling with selfishness in that area. Jesus says, in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep my commands.”

Application:   So how do we love God? With all our heart (passions and affections), soul (will, emotions, and personality), and mind (thoughts, reasoning, and focus). It means that we are intentional about our relationship. That we are always looking for ways to bless Him, to obey Him, to magnify Him, and to be like Him. This also means that we get to know Him through reading and learning His word, and that we talk to Him and work with Him in prayer.

How do we love others? Practice preference (Philippians 2:3). This means that we grow to be more considerate of others – that we stop being so selfish and self-centered. It looks like us praying for others, letting them get ahead in traffic, or not tearing someone down when you are competing for a promotion. If we strive to love Him and to love others like Him, He promises to give us strength and provide for our needs (Matthew 6:33).

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Prayer:   Jesus, I love You. Thank You for today. You are the greatest example of what genuine love is. Help me to love You more and to love like You. I ask forgiveness for my selfishness and fear. Teach me to trust You with my life. Help me to recognize and take advantage of opportunities to love, serve, and prefer others as better than myself, because You did it for me. Amen.

Prayer Points:

  • Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any areas where you need to grow in love and repent for any selfishness that He brings up.
  • Spend some time in silence before the Lord, asking Him to let you feel and to be filled with His love.
  • Ask God to give you eyes to see opportunities to give godly love to others today.

Worship: