Give him your all

With the super bowl coming up this Sunday, millions of Americans will be watching two teams battle it out on the field for a trophy and a ring that only a very small percentage of people have and ever will be honored to get. They will be sacrificing their energy, mental and physical well being and putting it all on the line for their teammates, that paycheck and a very unique ring. We as Americans tend to love to see someone giving their all for something.

The same is true for pretty much anyone that’s ever lived. We love to hear stories of men and women overcome adversity and doing it all for what they believe in. Well God says that we need to lay it all on the line for him. But so few of us do.

“He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command”. Matthew 22:37-38

Hcsb Bible

One of the commandments is to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul and mind and a different verse includes strength. This means that your love for God is supposed to take over everything you do and are. It will affect the way you act, think and how you use your time and body.

If you look throughout history and all the testimonies that people have shared about their conversion to Jesus Christ, a common theme is the point that they witness the love that someone has for God in action.

Sure they may be won to Christ through intellectual pursuit but the bait that gets them is someone showing the love that they have for God to them. It could be shown to them through a gracious act, them being killed for being a Christian and laying their body down for God. And a lot the reasons for their conversion to Christ that I’ve noticed in my short life is that of a life lived for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The stories I’ve heard are of someone watching another love God each and every day through their continuous mundane actions. It’s the grace that they show to others, the forgiveness, the patience and joy that they bring to work or school or life in general that not many others can bring.

So how do we show everyone the grace and love so that they may come to Jesus Christ? Well we first love God himself with everything we have. Not one or two days of the week or even let’s be extra spiritual and say 5 days a week. No, Jesus is telling us to love him with everything we have, each and every day.

Anyone can put on an act for a short period of time and show they love someone, but it takes real discipline and love to show and live it each and every day for the rest of their lives.

That’s what will set us apart from the rest of the world. The love we have for God and the byproduct being the love we have for each other.

This will be why some will come to God with your example. Of course, God can speak to them and bring them to him through the Holy Spirit urging them but I believe that God prefers to use his children in the faith.

People will see your faith and love of God and be drawn or repulsed from God depending on their life at the moment. Now, will we be perfect? Farthest from that, but we can try our best each and every day to bear our cross and live for God every single day.

Just like the athletes in the Super bowl train day in and day out to be ready, we also need to train our spiritual muscles. Just like their exercises will strengthen their muscles that they’ll use, we need to read the Bible to apply it to our life.

In order to be closer to someone and therefor to love them more, you need to be with them more. This means in prayer talking to God on a daily basis and I don’t mean just the small ‘what’s up God’ prayer at the dinner table. I mean true conversation with God. It won’t be natural at first but nothing is. I’m pretty sure you weren’t a natural when you talked to a cute girl or guy for the first time when you were younger but once you got to know them, it got easier.

In order for the love of God to affect your mind, you need to be active in the word of God. Learn the stories and then apply it to your life. Learn what God says about the issues that affect your life. This way, you will know what to say when your non believing friends ask you questions about your faith. If you cant find the answer,ask your parents if they’re good Christians or your youth pastor or pastor depending on your church and age. They will be glad to help when they can.

So at the end of the day, lay it all on the line for your love for God. Not to be remembered and glory like the athletes this Sunday during the Super bowl(yes I know some are Christians), but rather for God and his kingdom.

If you do, God may use your example for the next great disciple to rise up. In the book of Acts, Paul saw the martyrdom of Stephen and I can imagine that after he became a Christian, Stephen probably crossed his mind a time or two and the length to which he would eventually go to. In that both would die for the cause of Christ.

So love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. Lay it all on the line for God.

Thank you for reading this. I hope you have a great day.