Love God

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” - Mark 12:30 
 
Over the last couple of days, we have talked about obedience. If you want to honor God and live your life for Him, it all starts with obedience. You say, “Okay pastor, I am all in. I want to follow God, I want to obey Him fully and carefully, just as you have said. But now what?”  

Well, it all starts with LOVE. Love? Love who? Well, love God! Mark 12:30 tells us, “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”
 
Before you can love anyone else, you should love God first. Mark puts these in order, and he knows what he is doing. If you are going to follow God, it starts with loving Him. We have said before, God is not a genie. There is no magic lamp that you rub for God to come out and hear your every wish.  

God wants a personal relationship with you just like a father. God is your Heavenly Father, and He wants to have a real relationship with His children. Your relationship with God should not just be transactional. It is not just about doing good deeds for Him and then He grants you your desires.
 
Think about it. Your relationship with your mom, dad, or grandparent isn’t like that. So why should your relationship with God be that way? Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” It is a popular verse because of the excitement of God giving us our desires.  

But don’t forget the first part of the verse; “TAKE DELIGHT in the Lord...” God wants you to delight in Him, to develop a relationship with Him, and to LOVE Him before you get to anything else. If you want a real relationship with God, like all relationships, it starts with love. Love God first!