All Of Me

I thought I meant what I was saying when I said that “I love you with all my heart”. If I examine this statement pretty close, it’s actually quite bold when you think about it. I can’t begin to put into words how I love my wife and children. Some of my children now have wives and children who have expanded my capacity to love even more. I realize that the words I love with all my heart is meant to be profound and powerful – and they are, but I’m just not sure it’s true. I’m not sure I’m capable of loving any one person with my whole heart.

Moses, in teaching the people of Israel before their conquest of the Promised Land began, articulated the way God wants us to love Him. Check this out…

4 Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV)

I believe that really loving others is a priority issue. For example, Loving God first is paramount. I believe God wired me to love-period. I believe people who don’t love have quenched or killed their ability to love. I will tell you that I love certain people much more than others. I grew up loving my Mom & Dad, Mammie and Pappy. I loved my brothers and sisters. When I became a man and decided to love my wife – she took priority over all others. Then the kids came along – another adjustment. I still believe my wife to be the priority, but my kids are a close second.

Jesus gives a hard command in speaking on this subject. Check this out…

26 ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26 NIV)

I have never thought that the Lord was asking me to hate my family. He was asking that He come before my family. I actually believe that if I’ve got my love in proper priority with Him as #1, then I actually love them more because He’s the Author of Love. He wants all of me first then I can give more of me to others. This is quite an odd formula, but I believe that love is a simple, yet complex concept.

I want to love the Lord God with all of me so that I can give more of me to those I love dearly.

Pressing On!

Dwayne