Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:29–30 nkjv)
What is the soul? One’s soul is his life and the seat of his being. Confusing? Think about it this way. When a man and woman fall in love, their hearts knit together. Although passion may have drawn them together, it is a decision of the will and the mind that keeps them together in a committed relationship. Sinful human nature often causes us to be tempted to be unfaithful to our spouses. And if we went by our feelings, we would follow the temptation! It’s during those times that we have to completely ignore temporary feelings and be strong in our commitment to stay faithful. We express our love through our hearts, our minds, and our strength. This is how we love our spouses with our souls—our very lives.
It’s the same with God. When we give our hearts to God, we begin a relationship with Him. Then we decide (with our minds, our wills) to follow Him. Along the way, we’re tempted to fall into sin. If we simply follow our feelings, we will give in to the temptation. But if we’re really going to love God, we will choose to be strong and faithful to Him, thus loving God with all our souls.
So do you? I hope you will.
