I just wonder...

Have you ever wondered what would happen if we just took Jesus at His word?? What would the world be like if every child of God focused on what He said was most important...

1. Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength! Wow that pretty much covers every aspect of my life. If I love God like this...I am guessing obedience would just naturally fall in line!? (Why in the world would I choose to purposefully sin against a God I know loves me and who I sooo love??)

2. Loving others as much as we love ourselves. Okay...we all love ourselves...Jesus knew that! Most of us love ourselves so much that we think our way is at least the best way...if not the only way. I usually am first concerned with MY needs being met...If I love like this...I guess that means others needs become just that important??

If all the people of God in the world embraced this, what would change?

I am guessing the bickering and devouring each other over the "external" marks of the church ( you know - music, worship style, name, etc)would become very unimportant. If we focus on God and on loving Him and His creation...we won't have time or desire to prove we are right. We will be much too busy serving the people in need of HIS love! (and in the meantime we will realize how little it mattered anyway)

So...what's wrong with us? Jesus said these two things were the most important; God said it more than once in His Word. Maybe He meant it? I think he knew how our humanness was going to make this a fiercely difficult concept for us. It is so much easier to establish a firm set of rules and rituals and say "here's what you gotta do". It's much harder to submit to a loving, passionate God and be a loving passionate child.

It is so much easier to condemn those around me who are different...whether in color, thought, worship or whatever. The hard part is to accept that the same God who is able to see through my error and faults can do the same with others. We are all on a journey. JESUS is the ONLY way to the finish line. It is only because He stands for us in the presence of God that we have any chance of being found worthy.

When we focus on loving God and others, Christ will change us. When we shift our focus from how we "do church" to how we can love God and His creation...not only will we be better for it but the whole world will be changed!