I cannot follow instructions. When there is an item that needs to be assembled, I stare blankly at the directions. I had my nine-year-old niece put together a baby basinet because I could not figure it out. I knew the baby would be safer with her assembly than mine. We did not tell her mother about it for years!
I need directions simplified. Jesus makes life easy. Every decision, every action, every word choice, every relationship can be evaluated by two simple commands. These instructions were originally given in the Old Testament. Jesus takes them to summarize how to evaluate every aspect of our lives.
Mark 12:28b-31
…“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Love God and love others. It is all about Him and them. Think through decisions, behaviors, choices, words, time, money, relationships. Put them in the context of loving God and loving others. Are we obeying the commands of love? If not, what changes need to be made so that we are following these instructions? If we are violating the commands of love, then we need to confess this sin, repent, and choose to do whatever it takes to obey the directive of love.
I do want to make a note that love is hinged with truth. Sometimes, we separate the two and treat love as an all encompassing “free pass” for others to harm us. Love has boundaries. God loved the nation of Israel, yet He left them to the consequences of their sin by allowing nations to oppress them and even take them into captivity. Love is not about rescuing those who do not want to be rescued, or incurring mistreatment from those who refuse to change.
That is why we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We need to recognize our value and show concern for our own well-being. To be emotionally whole leads us to love others effectively. From the love we have for ourselves, which is rooted in the love God has for us, we can then love others. Maybe the first question for some of us should be, “Do I love myself?” If we are struggling with that love, then it is time to ask the Father to show us how to love ourselves, so we can truly love others.
I challenge all of us today to evaluate these two commands (by the way, they are not suggestions). “Do I love God? Do I love others as myself? Where am I violating these commands of love?” As God reveals to us areas that must change; may our love for God, love for others, and love for ourselves compel us to do whatever it takes to be transformed into a life of love. Jesus gave simple directions: Love God and love others as yourself. May each of us follow those instructions today to build a community of love.