Last Sunday I preached from Colossians 2:6-7 on growing in Christ. In my understanding growing in Christ is what discipleship is about, it is about obeying Christ and following Christ. That has led me to freshly reflect on the two greatest commandments:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
If I love God with all that I have, if I love people as I love myself then how could it be possible for me to live in any other way than one of complete generosity? I just can’t see it, but this has some disturbing implications. If I’m not being generous than I’m failing to apply these two greatest commandments. It’s a logical conclusion I think.
I concluded that if Jesus says these are the two greatest things I can do with my life then that’s good enough for me. I’m inspired by people who did great things, attempted great things, trusted God for great things. But Jesus says these are the greatest – love God, love people. What is so beautiful about this, is that anyone can do the greatest things. Education, opportunity, wealth, ability count for nothing when it comes to loving God and loving people. Too often people with all of the former forget this and do indeed do great things but just not the greatest.
So I see this at work, I love God and I love people and as I do so God works on my heart changing and transforming me. What I find hard becomes what I do naturally. Generous living as well as generous giving. It might be easier said than done, but maybe it’s not all that complicated. Just do two things.
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