MATTHEW 22:37

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

TO PONDER

One way that people have understood 'personhood' throughout human history is by describing it in three, sometimes four, different elements. He heart represents our emotions and desires (see yesterday's reflection), soul is usually understood as our being and will, and mind is our intellect and reason. The fourth you sometimes hear is 'strength' which usually refers to our physical body.

The reason for pointing this out is that in the modern world we don't tend to think in those terms so much any more, so a Bible verse like this can seem strange. However, I think ti explains a fairly common phenomenon. Psychologists often call it 'compartmentalisation'. It's the idea that we break our lives into different compartments and there are many reasons a person might do this. However, in the life of a Christian, I think the most common is so we can justify doing things we know are not in alignment with the way God calls us to live. We can say to ourselves that we will give Sunday morning to God by going to church and singing a few songs at God, but then the rest of my week,l the rest of my life is mine to live however I see fit.

You see the problem don't you? Jesus tells us you cant break your life up and just give God a few 'bits' of it. God want you to love him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. The minute we hold anything back, we have fallen short of this command of Jesus.

How wonderful it is that even knowing we would hold parts of ourselves back from Hm, Jesus still remained dedicated to us and has provided a way for us to more on and be reconciled and re-dedicated to God when we fall. What part of your life are you holding back from God at the moment? How could you come to him and hand it over today?

PRAYER: Lord God, You are the giver of all good things and I know that all your promises are sure. And yet, I also know that I regularly hold parts of myself, my life back from you and all that you have promised me in your son Jesus. Please help me to lay all of my life at your feet and to walk each day more completely in the fullness of life that you have given me in Jesus. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle