What has God placed you on this earth to do? What is your purpose? What drives you? What are you living for?
There are over 600 commands in the O.T. Law. Jesus took all 613 commands and condensed them down to just two! He said love God supremely, with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. That’s the crux of the law, according to Jesus.
There is something that comes before your ability to love God. It is the recognition that God loved you first. In 1 John 4, the apostle says: “We love, because He first loved us.”
Only God’s love can meet the deepest needs of your heart. Depending on people to supply what only God can supply will leave you lonely and frustrated.
What is the key to unlocking this love? Making Jesus the Lord of your life. His lordship releases a new capacity for sacrificial love to flow out of your life. Once we surrender to Him and begin to experience His love, then we can truly begin to love our neighbors.
If we get right with God first, the second part of The Great Commandment falls into place.
The last words of Jesus in Matthew 28 explain what we are to be doing in the gap between His First Coming and His Second Coming.
We carry out the Great Commission – to make disciples – with the Great Commandment at heart. So we go out as witnesses, with hearts of compassion, especially for those who are in need.
These two greats joined together add up to a great life purpose.
Are you ready to embrace a big vision for your life – a purpose-filled vision?
Jesus understood His life mission. At age 12 He said, “I must be about My Father’s business.” And 21 years later, dying on the cross, He said, “It is finished.”
If there’s just one more person in heaven because of your influence, your life will have made a difference for eternity. Look around at your mission field. Ask God to show you who He may have put in your life to tell about His love.
What is the value of a single soul? If just one person in heaven says, “Thank you. I’m here because you cared enough to share the Good News,” that will be beyond any other thing you may have achieved on earth.
(MARK ELLIS)