there are two extremes to be avoided with regards to these commands. one could get completely focused on loving God and ignore people, or completely focused on loving people and ignore God.
the first extreme is due to our selfish nature. the focus here is not truly loving God, for true love for God leads us to love others too; rather, it is a love out of our selfish desire to feel more spiritual than others. the second extreme is due to a failure in understanding our priorities. love for God is the first command, and then is the command to love others.
first of all, the order is important: first, love for God, and then, love for humanity. but, the combination is also important: love for both God and humanity is necessary. in all these, love for self should not be neglected, but, it is also something we need not work at, as it is natural. love for God takes first place; love for others takes the next place; and love for self takes the last seat!
Showing posts with label greatest commandment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greatest commandment. Show all posts
Monday, October 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Love God and Love People - The Two Greatest Commands . . .
according to God, the Lawgiver, the two most important commands r these: first, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength; second, love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:28-31).
notice, it is not a suggestion, but a command. love is hard work. it does not come naturally to us. if loving God and loving others came naturally to us, then, there is no need of a command. naturally, we r inclined to love only ourselves.
loving others and especially, loving God goes against our fallen nature; hence, this makes loving God and loving others rather an impossible task. this huge task requires the need of something more than natural - a supernatural support. in other words, we need God's help to put Him and others before ourselves. however, just as God's help is crucially necessary, so is the need for our willingness to love.
notice, it is not a suggestion, but a command. love is hard work. it does not come naturally to us. if loving God and loving others came naturally to us, then, there is no need of a command. naturally, we r inclined to love only ourselves.
loving others and especially, loving God goes against our fallen nature; hence, this makes loving God and loving others rather an impossible task. this huge task requires the need of something more than natural - a supernatural support. in other words, we need God's help to put Him and others before ourselves. however, just as God's help is crucially necessary, so is the need for our willingness to love.
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