Whether you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior 3 seconds ago or 3 decades ago, it doesn’t matter. Jesus said the greatest of the commandments was to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (NKJV, 1982, Matthew 22:37).
That is our most basic responsibility as believers – to love the Lord our God completely and entirely, with all our being. To do so, we must get to know God intimately, personally. We, as humans, tend to complicate rather simple commands.
When you want to make a new connection or start a new relationship of any kind, what is it that you do? You put yourself out there and find ways to meet and have conversations with people. You spend time with people in different settings, different group sizes, and one-on-one.
Differently stated: what do you do when you want to learn about something? You Google it; you read some articles; you read some books; you talk to experts.
In either scenario, you spend time, energy, and resources getting to know more about that which you are curious. If you’re willing to do that for people and matters here on Earth, why would you not do the same for your Heavenly Father? He is the expert on Himself and the author of all.
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD
In order to love God, you must do something: you need to get to know Him, learn about Him, read and hear His Words, see His actions, engage in conversation with Him, invite Him to spend time with you, and ask His opinion. This is a start to knowing God. You are responsible for learning His Names, His qualities, His works, His Words, His commandments, and about His Son, so you can start to see Him working in your life and build trust that He is who He says He is and does what He says He does. You are responsible for spending time personally, one-on-one, with Him.
We see in scripture time and time again that the Lord desires for each of us to come to Him with everything, and He desires to answer our prayers:
- Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (NKJV)
- Colossians 2:6-7 “6just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (NIV)
If you start with Matthew 6:33 and Colossians 2:6-7, what is being said? The Lord is reminding you that it is your responsibility to seek Him and learn about Him. You do that by reading His Word daily. How can you expect to know His Words or His Will if you don’t know what He has already said?
Reading the Bible gives you a foundation from which to stand on and talk with Him about things. This leads to John 15:7, Psalm 34:4, and Philippians 4:6. Once you know His Word, what He’s done, and what He’s promised, you know His Will. The Bible is truth. It is living, and it is timeless. The Bible is His Will (Romans 12:1-2).
FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD YOUR GOD
- John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (NKJV)
- Psalm 34:4 “I sought the Lord, and He heard me…” (NKJV)
- Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;” (NKJV)
God knew the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). There is nothing you can bring to Him in prayer that he doesn’t already know about or already have an answer to. “Yet you do not have because you do not ask.” (NKJV, James 4:2). Whether it’s direction, guidance, wisdom, knowledge, healing, relief, freedom, peace, prosperity, or something else, there is not one thing you can bring before the Father that He won’t hear and respond to- be it spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, or financially.
But the responsibility is on you. You must seek and trust Him:
- Proverbs 3:5-6 “5Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (NKJV)
- Proverbs 8:32-34 “32blessed are those who keep my ways. 33Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. 34Blessed is the man who listens to me…” (NKJV)
- Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (NKJV)
How can you follow someone you don’t know? How can you trust someone you don’t know? How can you have a relationship with someone you don’t talk to? You show your love for God by following Him, trusting Him, and developing a personal relationship with Him. This is all He desires. This is your responsibility.
He’s asking if you will give Him your time, love, and devotion. You know what you’re supposed to do and how to do it. Will you?