Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of the God who loves us incredibly and who is worthy of all our love.
Recently, I was encouraged by this verse. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mark 12:30).
The remembrance of this verse was not the starting point for my thoughts. Rather, it was the Spirit-directed answer to my preceding thoughts. I had been considering some of the changes in my life and how I am not currently able to do some of the things I have done in the past. I’m thinking of good things like church attendance at all services or avenues of service and outreach, things that would seem to indicate a heart of passion for God. Additionally, my mind and mental energy don’t allow me to pursue to the same level some of the in-depth Bible study or meditation that I have done at other times in my life.
Those realities have troubled me, because they seem to speak to me of a heart that has grown cold toward God or perhaps complacent. It seems like a cooling of passion and a settling into a less-devoted and less intense Christianity. While I am not going to release myself from the challenge of desiring and striving for greater love for God, I believe the verse above was God’s answer to quiet and comfort me.
Total love. That’s what the verse calls for. All my heart. All my soul. All my mind. All my strength. What a tremendous challenge that is for any of us! It is also individual. The thoughts that God gave me were in particular related to my mind and my strength. I am to love Him with all my mind and all my strength – not someone else’s mind or someone else’s strength. And with all the mind and strength that I have currently – not with the mind and strength that I may have had at other times in my life. Whatever the current capacity is for each individual, that is what God asks for. Just 100% of whatever exists.
That may not look the same during illness as it does in health. It may not look the same for a mother of four young children as it does for a single lady. It may not look the same at 80 as it does at 20. It may not look the same for an intellectually gifted person as it does for someone with a mind crippled by disease or disability. The capacity of the mind and strength varies dramatically between those scenarios.
On the other side, there is all my heart and all my soul. It seems to me that this might be the opposite situation. That our capacity in these areas can probably remain at the same level, or even increase, through the changes and stages of life. These aspects are a challenge to me – to fully love God with my heart and soul. I am reminded of the verse about our outward man perishing, but our inner man being renewed day by day. The body and mind will weaken, but the heart and soul can grow stronger.
As I love God fervently with my heart and soul, that will make me want to serve Him as much as I can with my mind and strength. But God does not expect or require me to give more than I have, just all that I have.
I hope this thought will encourage someone else – to realize that all the outward expressions of love do not need to be the same as someone else’s or even the same as they have been for you at other times. As we earnestly seek for all the inward expressions to remain and even grow, may God help us to rest in giving Him all that we are capable of.
“More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee! Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee; this is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee, more love to Thee, more love to Thee!” (Elizabeth Prentiss)
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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