By Emily Wooten
What did God say is important?
Matthew 22:37-40 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 your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
He said it in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
The second most important thing is to love others.
Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.
If we have no other reason he completes the sentence with, “I am the Lord. Because I said so. But God tells us to love because he knows what loving others does in us.
Colossians 3:12-15 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
We see that our peace is hinged on our love.”…Above all these, put on love.” Paul tells us to let peace rule in our hearts being thankful. Grateful people are not moved by circumstances. Grateful people don’t seek their own first. Grateful, thankful people love God more than they love themselves.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;
It is our good pleasure to submit our will to God’s. As children of the eternal creator, we relish in practicing to be like him.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God didn’t wait until we were good enough, smart enough or pretty enough. He loved us and sent his son, who also loved us and preferred us by submitting his will to God’s.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.