Matthew 22:37

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."
Matthew 22:37


I've read and heard this verse so many times, and even talked about it before (February 7, 2000 and July 3, 2012 if anyone wants to go through the archives), with other verses.  But today, it struck me in a different way.  I think what I am feeling is the idea of all-encompassing completeness... that every part of us needs to be engaged in this love.  It isn't just heart OR soul OR mind, but all of them together.  ... And don't we always leave something out, even when we love regular humans?  I love my job, truly I do... but not like that.  I love Doctor Who a LOT... but not like that.  There are still places left over where I can fit in my other favorites.  LEGOs, family, scriptures, books, games, mmmmm... love them all.  But none of those loves are all-encompassing.  None of them involve my entire being.  And so that is the trick, right?  Loving God with everything we are.  Not holding back anything.  Loving him more than we love anything else, loving him without any mental reservation.
Coincidentally, that is also how we accomplish every other thing that we ever have to do... because, as Ezra Taft Benson said, "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives."  If we have God in our lives to that degree, the spirit guides our steps, the Lord leads us, and we won't lose the path.
Today, let's not get overwhelmed with everything there is to do or think or be.  Let's work on this ONE thing... loving God with every particle of ourselves.  If we get that right, all else works.  And even if we don't perfect it right away, our lives will get better the more we work on it.  And it will make all the other commandments easier too. :)