³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
³⁷ Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt 22:36-40) 

Heart – Soul – Mind

We empty our hearts and allow the indwelling of the Spirit in us. We are filled with the Spirit  and we reflect the love of our Father. Our heart is at our physical core. In our ability to give all of it to Jesus, who becomes our heart, we can emanate His love as His love is now an integral part of our being. Emptying our hearts does not make void how we should love, or take away our ability to love. Rather in our heart is the wholeness of the love from God that encompasses all love. We are fulfilled, therefore we shall love others out of our fulfillment.

Our soul is our spiritual self apart from our physical self (dictionary.com). Therefore, giving ourselves fully spiritually is part of the instructions for our walk in Christ (v.37). The important emphasis is on the word ‘all’. Our Father is a jealous God meaning that there is no room for distraction in our obedience. He understands and has forgiven our human nature, but in our plight for growth in our obedience, we shall persevere in our effort to not be distracted. The world is full of distraction both physically and spiritually. We are to stay single-minded with our spiritual vision on eternity.

Our minds are a great asset and our greatest enemy. We are tossed about with the infiltration of all that is not good, ideology that shall confuse, and debate that will cause doubt. Prepare you mind for instruction from the LORD. We shall clear our minds to free distraction and listen for God. A cluttered mind impedes the inflow of  God’s instruction. Prepare your mind in a quiet place, read His word, and then listen for Him. With clear focus, His words will dominate our thoughts giving us a clear path on a road that is already narrow.

Look not left or right but straight, on the narrow road that is our walk in Christ. His instructions are simple. Our obedience, essential and today is a new day.

Rick Stassi
Oct 15, 2011