The Greatest Command

“The most important [commandment],” 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.’

Mark 12:29–30

Did you know that God commands you to love Him? Yes, He commands you to obey Him. And He commands you to give to the poor. And He commands you to live a righteous life. But He also commands you to love Him.

In fact, Jesus says this is the greatest command. Think about that. The most important command in all of Scripture isn’t about what you do or don’t do. It’s about what you feel... about God. If God could only have you do one thing your entire life, it would be for you to love God. 

Why is that? Because it’s primary. When you were a kid, did you ever set dominoes up in a long line or maybe even a spiral to create a chain reaction? Do you remember doing that? If you were very careful to line them all up and if they were just the right distance apart and if you managed not to knock them over while you were setting them up, then once they were all set, all you had to do was knock over that first domino and it would create a chain reaction that caused all the other dominoes to fall into place as well.

That’s what loving God is like. It’s the first domino. If you love God, If you get your heart right, then everything else will fall into place. Proverbs 4:23 puts it this way. It says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Your heart is the wellspring of your whole life. Everything you do begins and ends there. Your life is directed by what you love and what you hate, what you set your heart on and what you take to heart.

That’s why this is the greatest commandment. It isn’t because God is desperate for love. It’s because He knows that you will follow what you love. If you love God, you will want to read your Bible. If you love God, you will want to pray. If you love God, you will want to obey all His other commands. He knows that if you can get this one thing right, then everything else will fall into place. If you can fall madly, passionately in love with God, then everything else in your spiritual life will eventually work itself out.

So, the question is this… Are you in love with God? God has no interest in being second place in your life. He commands you to love Him with all you’ve got. Return to your first love, today. Ask God to reveal Himself to you and to help you fall in love with Him all over again.