The Importance of Putting the Lord First
In Exodus and Deuteronomy, God began emphasizing the need and commandment
to put Him first. The phrase "Love the Lord, thy God, with all of
your heart, all of your soul, all of your spirit, and all of your body."
We know that this commandment is impossible to obey for the average
person. It is improbable that a human could be forced or commanded
to love anyone. True love cannot be fostered by demand. In fact when
someone demands our love, we love them less. So we are physically,
emotionally, spiritually and socially incapable of loving God by requirement.
This has to be the base of just about any resentment or rejection
of God by people. This is the reason that Churches have to resort
to any attraction they can to get and keep a congregation. This is
the reason people will put any activity they can before the activities
of the Lord's work.
To Love God with all of the heart, body, soul and spirit means that
we must love him above everything and everyone else. Love for Him
must supercede everything else or we do not love Him with all.
Who can do this?
Love is a strange and mysterious nature of the intelligent creator
and the intelligent creation. Even a couple of what we consider non-intelligent
creatures evidence love and devotion. Consider a pet dog.
True love is not hidden. True love is not disguised. True love evidences
itself in absolute committment. It is surrounded by compassion and
is motivated by devotion.God has evidenced his Love for humankind
from the very beginning of their existence. Even though they have
turned against Him, betrayed Him, jilted Him and despised Him, still
His Unmatched and unfailing love remains and is shed abroad for every
human being.
His love holds for the unlovely. His love searches for the lost.
His love abides when we turn away.
Human beings are unaware, unworthy and unwilling to receive the
Love of God. Mainly because they know that they will have to love back.
That is exactly what happens when a person suddenly realizes the
full scope of God's love. Love for Him comes from nowhere seemingly.
We make a 360 degree turn in our relationship to Him when we experience
His love. Almost instantly, our rejection and rebellion turns into
a complete reliance and release of all animosities.
He becomes first, because we suddenly realize that we are first
with Him. No longer do we feel a commandment to love Him. Our very
nature has been changed to love Him with all our heart, soul, spirit, mind and body.