What do you think the most important thing in life is? What should be the top priority? The answer may surprise you. It surprised me, although already I knew it. Our priority is to Love God.
We have all read Matthew 22:37-38 where it tells us the greatest commandment, “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. This is the first and great commandment.”
But do we ever stop and actually think about what this means? It says nothing about doing great things for the glory of God. It does not tell us to go evangelize a third-world country. It does not tell us to care for the homeless. It does not tell us to go to church and tithe. These are good and important things, but what does the verse actually say?
It tells us that loving God is the most important thing. Nothing more, nothing less. This is not a love that rushes around doing things for the person while ignoring them. This is a love that focuses on that person. All that God asks of us is that we love Him. And the love He gives us for Himself will spill out and touch the lives of everyone around us.
All that I am, all that I ever will be is wrapped up in that. In 2007, I dedicated 6 years of my life to serve God. I thought this meant I would go and do great things for God. Go to New Zealand and minister to young people there. Maybe cause a revival to break out in the political world. Do something big and glorious for God to change the world.
But now I realize, if I do nothing else in these six years, I have done enough. I have learned that all God wants from me is my love. Not for me to do mighty things, but to simply be in His presence. To love Him. To bask in the presence of my Father and to experience His love.
Ephesians 1:12a says “That we should be to the praise of his glory,” it is not about doing, it is about being. And God has shown me that all I need to do, to be, is love Him. Once I am able to simply “be” and love Him, then, if He wills, I can “do” for Him because my priorities are right. But if nothing else happens during these years, it is enough that I know this.
Advanced Excel has changed my life. It has taught me how to be. It has shown me who God says I am. It has shown me the truth. The truth is a person, Jesus Christ. And I love Him with everything that is in me.
I loved your post Anna! It made me think of the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus never told Martha that she was sinning by doing all the time, but just that Mary had chosen the better part. Although the doing may be good, the real life is in simply loving Him, knowing Him, and sitting in His presence and enjoying Him. That is the better part!
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