When I Grow Up: September 2009

Love: God’s Greatest Commandment

God is love. This is the greatest truth found in the Bible. As God’s children it is important that we know how much God loves each of us. When we love others, this is how they know God is our Father.

But anyone who does not love does not know God--for God is love. 1John 4:8 (NLT)

On the sleeve of Jesus’ garment there is a Scripture text written in Hebrew. For a Jewish boy, this was the most important passage of Scripture for him to learn. It was referred to as the Shema. The Shema is simply a Jewish statement of devotion and love for God. It was the greatest of all the commandments God gave to them.

Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear,

O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' Mark 12:29-30 (NLT)

This commandment tells us how important it is to love God with all our heart, mind and strength. But that isn’t all that God wanted us to know. In this same passage, Jesus tells us the next thing we should do is love all those around us as well.

And this commandment is as important as the first one.

The second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." Mark 12:31 (NLT)

Sometimes loving other’s includes those who treat us unfairly or those we just can’t seem to get along with. The Bible even states that we should love our enemies or the one’s who don’t even like us at times.

"But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you” Luke 6:27 (NLT)

Have you ever felt like you just didn’t fit in? Have you ever felt that you were different than those around you because of the color of your skin or how many possessions you may have or not have? Everyone has experienced these feelings at one time or another in their lives. We just want to fit in or feel a part of something because that is how God has created us.

Now here is the exciting news about Gods love. We do fit in and belong. We belong to a kingdom that God has placed within our heart. We all may be different in some way or another, but as Gods children, there is nothing we can do that can make God not love us any less.

This is how special the love of God is for all His children.