[Revisited] Principle of Life : Love the Lord, your God - 1

This is the continuation of the previous note titled 'Principle of Life : The Shape of Cross'. In previous note, we have learnt from the shape of a cross that there are 2 simple rules of life :

1. Love your God
2. Love your surroundings (neighbors and natures)

In this note, I would like to go little bit further of the first principle, Love your God.

How could we do it? It turns out that the answer is simple, yet not that simple to be done.

Jesus, Himself, has again taught us how to express our love to God. In the Book of John, Jesus said :

"... If you love me (Jesus), you will obey what I command... "

As Christians, we believe that Jesus is God Himself. Hence if you love God, you will obey what God commands.

How can we know what God commands are? We can know through His Words (Bible), prayers, our spiritual experiences with Him, et cetera.

Another thing we should learn is that Jesus wants us to love God with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds. This means you really have to use all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, to love Him. God requires our complete act of love to Him.

It requires our full obedience to Him. It sounds radical. But this is the way God wants us to be. And we have to realize that God is our creator. He can say and he can do whatever He wants. And us, as His creations, only need to follow the creator's instructions.

Jesus did not say, 'If you love me, you will obey some of my commands'.

Jesus said, 'If you love me, you will obey what I command'. It leaves us no room of negotiation when it comes to following His commands.

Many of us, feels that if we have obey 90% of God's commands, we are good enough. We say, 'I think I am doing good enough, I have followed 90% of the commands.'. But it turns out not to be good enough in God's eyes. He needs our full obedience to His commands.

'If you love me, you will obey what I command'

Let's learn how to love God by following His commands.

"... Teacher (Jesus), which is the greatest commandment in the Law?... Jesus replied : 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it : 'Love you neighbor as yourself.'..."