Matthew 22:34-40
Context: Matthew 22 shows Pharisees and Sadducees following Jesus around asking questions they think will trap Him or stump Him. Finally they ask Him what the greatest commandment is.
Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. … His answer might surprise you. It’s not the Golden Rule, but to love God. You don’t have to be spiritual to follow the Golden Rule, but at the center of Christianity is a relationship with God, and that requires loving God.
Do you love God? How do you know whether you love God? Jesus said your actions (or obedience) will reveal your love (John 14:23-24). … We are told that our obedience to His commands show our love for Him. While the greatest commandment is not centered on people, the evidence of our love for God is seen in how we treat other people. This is why Jesus states that the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” … If the greatest commandment is to love God and the evidence of that love is obeying His commands and the second greatest command is to love other people, then it follows that if we love God, we will love other people, but if we don’t love other people, we don’t love God. … How do we know what love? A strong indication of what love is what we spend time doing, even if you don’t realize you love it.
Jesus says three things will compete with God for your first love in your life:
Money or material things (Matthew 6:24). … Money and material things aren’t inherently bad, but a love for them is a root of evil.
Approval from other people (John 12:42-43). … Approval and praise from others isn’t bad, but seeking it and desiring it so much that it keeps us from confessing our faith is sin.
Self (John 12:25). … We like to make our lives comfortable and sometimes that means putting ourselves before God, which is idolatry of self.
How can you cultivate a love for God? Change your habits (John 21:15-17). … Jesus asks Peter thrice if Peter loves Him. All three times, Peter says yes and Jesus tells him to take an action: to feed His lambs, to take care of His sheep, to feed His sheep. Love is evidenced by our actions.
We cannot love God of our own volition. Our love for God is a response to His love for us (1 John 4:19; John 8:42).