Loving God With All Your Strength

In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, we find quotes from Deuteronomy 6:5 reminding us of the need to love God with our total being. One aspect of our being is "strength". A good definition of strength is "power", "might", or "exertion". Consequently, if we are to love God with all our strength, it will require us to work up a sweat for His sake. Mark Batterson in his book PRIMAL reminds readers that the words of Jesus at the judgment are "Well DONE good and faithful servant" not "well SAID". I thought of this as I watched cross-country skiers collapse across the finish line at the Olympics the other night. The athletes were totally spent. They were gasping for breath, they fell face first into the snow. All of this for a medal? Those of us who know and love Christ are vying for a much greater reward and yet, few of us are expending that kind of energy in expressing our love for God. I'm convinced that the heart of God is saddened by those of us who in the words of the old hymn "Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?"
Personally, I don't want to arrive at the gates of heaven all smiles and full of vim and vigor. I want to collapse across the portal of the gate with every last ounce of my physical strength expended expressing my love for God who "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believed in Him might have everlasting life."

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