“Love the Lord your God with all your heart……”

I don’t want to live a “normal” or passive life, but like all people I want to be filled with excitement. I want my heart to be consumed, on fire for something. God put this desire in every person, just think about all the different things people sink their lives, their time, their energy… from hobbies to interest to relationships.

I want to be captivated just like anyone else in this world. Here Jesus lays down the MOST IMPORTANT commandment for mankind and He starts our with loving the Lord with ALL of your heart…..

So if we are told to Love the Lord with all of our hearts that we should pursue it’s meaning. What does it mean to love God with all our hears and how do we go about doing it?

1. UNDERSTAND THAT OUR AFFECTIONS DETERMIN OUR DEVOTION

To determine where our affections actually lie, we have to discern what occupies our time, what motivates our actions, what shapes our dreams and what comprises their reward. Affections wait to be captured. They long to cling to someone or something. Wherever these affections are found so will our hearts be.

2. UNDERSTAND THAT OUR AFFECTIONS FOLLOW WHAT WE TREASURE.

The devotion of our hearts is determined by wherever we find value as our greatest treasure. Matt. 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be.” Jesus just gave us the answer on how to love God with all our hearts. The HEART loves what it treasures!! The treasure comes FIRST and the heart comes SECOND.

For the heart to love Jesus completely, it has to treasure Him supremely. Our affections are the outcome of what we treasure. When we truly encounter the Lord in His glory and worth, loving Him with all our hearts will be the end result.

3. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE JESUS YOUR GREATEST TREASURE.

Jesus was the treasure of Paul’s life…NOTHING else mattered compared to gaining Christ.

⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ~ Phil. 3:8

⁸ Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, Eph. 3:8

The glory of Jesus is so amazing and so satisfying that once discovered, all else pales in comparison. When we divert our attention away for the Lord, our love will begin to grow cold. IT’S THAT SIMPLE. It’s true in our personal lives as well as in the church.

4. SPEND TIME WITH THE LORD….

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2Cor 4:6-7

ONLY through the persistent gave on the face of the Lord and His glory does the light pierce our hearts — the same lights the keep the Seraphim consumed before His throne….

⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: