A Prepared Bride 10 - Loving God Actively

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:28-31 NIV

To love God with all your strength is to do everything as an act of love to He who gives you breath each day.

Solomon wrote:
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might… Eccl 9:10 NIV

Paul exhorted us:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Col 3:23-25 NIV

We must cultivate the attitude and thereby the action that everything that we do is an act of worship to God. If we limit our adoration of the Father to twenty minutes on Sunday morning, we deceive ourselves. Our “worship times” in a church building must simply be one more expression of our love for our God and King.

If you have not read “The Practice of the Presence of God”, I highly recommend it. It is a collection of the letters and conversations of a monk in the 17th century. Brother Lawrence, as he was known, worked kitchen duty. He washed dishes. He was not a great expositor of verse nor was he renowned for his preaching. He secured his place in history by living simply and seeking to be aware of the presence of God no mater what the activity – even washing dishes!

"I walk before God simply, in faith, with humility and with love; and I apply myself diligently to do nothing and think nothing which may displease Him." ... Brother Lawrence

To love God with all of our strength is to constantly remind ourselves that God is everywhere present, that He is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. We used to sing the song,

“We bring the sacrifice of praise unto the house of the Lord.” *

But if we bring that sacrifice of praise into the house and it is the only time during the week when we have given any thought at al to God, then we offer strange fire to God.
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Lev 10:1-2 KJV

I do not think that fire will come and devour us but I do think that we, as individuals, and corporately, as the body, pay a price when we do not live a life of worship. It may not be what troubles we encounter. However, it may well be the blessings that we missed out on.

Paul gave us these instructions regarding the Lord’s Supper.

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
1 Cor. 11:26-32 NIV

If there are consequences when we partake of this remembrance in an unworthy manner, wouldn’t it follow that that we are missing out on something if we do not enter into times of worship as a result of a life lived in acts of love to our Father.

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11 NIV

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Rom 12:5-8 NIV

Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Eph 5:15-16 NIV


*Written by Kirk Dearman © 1984 John T. Benson Publishing