You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." Mark 12:30-31
Saying that Jesus is first in our lives is easier said than done. How do we make Jesus Lord of our whole lives, not just the parts we share with him?
The answer is found by prioritizing the things Jesus prioritizes, caring about the things Jesus cared about, and loving the things Jesus loved. No passage gives a better window into Jesus's thinking and heart as Mark 12:30-31. Here Jesus clearly states that our priority must be to love God actively. This is not merely in emotion but in life, action, and interest.
The second part of this passage is a window into Jesus' deep desire for us. We must love others as ourselves. We free ourselves from the imprisonment of self-interest by putting Jesus first in our lives and then making his children as much or more important in our lives than ourselves. How would our daily lives be different if we looked around and said, "everyone I see is more important than me"? How would this change our family, neighborhoods, and communities?
Prayer: Jesus, help me to love you not merely in emotion but with all I am. Help me to love your children even more than I love myself. Amen.