You Must VII

Mark 12:13 “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” [with emphasis].

It really does not make sense for believers to get attached to or marry an unbeliever because it is the God in the marriage equation that unites and solidifies. They may enjoy the thrill for a short while but it is going to be filled with sorrow. That is just how it is. We have included an image in today’s devotional to help us visualize the indispensible role of Jesus in the marriage equation.

At the base of the triangle, the distance between the man and the woman is wide. But as the man and woman move closer to Jesus, the distance between them shortens. God’s ideal is for man and the woman to become one with Christ. When this happens, the distance between them disappears. That is why the Word of God says that a triple braided cord is not easily broken. Christ is the third person in that relationship that unites and bonds that relationship together. If love is going to last I must listen with all my heart, I must forgive with all my heart, I must be humble with all my heart, and I must love God with all my heart. However, the truth is that none of us can do this by our own strength.

We need God to help us. For people that have a challenge listening because they love the sound of their own voice, you need to ask God for help to listen with all your heart. Some of us need to ask the Lord to help us forgive with all our hearts. Some of us need to ask for the grace to be humble with all our hearts. Some of us need to ask God for help to love Him with all our heart. Again like we said, none of us can do these things in our strength. Take loving God for example, no one can come to God unless He draws us. Like in the diagram, the objective is to be one with Christ and then listening, forgiving, being humble, and loving becomes possible.

Prayer: Father, give me the grace to listen with all my heart, to forgive with all my heart, to be humble with all out heart, and to love You with all our heart, in Jesus Name. Amen!