For the next few weeks we are going to be looking at what it takes to achieve our “God Potential”. Our “God Potential” is that potential we achieve when we are in tune with God’s will, direction, and plan. It’s when we realize that we can truly do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
To start our study, I want to look at developing a heart that accepts and believes that “It’s All About God”.
By the time we get to Matthew 22 Jesus is reaching the end of his earthly ministry. He has attracted crowds in every town and has preformed amazing miracles. He has made the lame walk, the deaf hear and the blind see. He has cast out demons, and healed the diseased. As if that was not enough, He has taught as no one else in history, with authority, power, passion, and compassion. Jesus has made great friends and bitter enemies. It’s in Matthew 21 that Jesus gets closest to being treated like royalty in what has been described as the Triumphal entry. It is after this event that his enemies try even harder to discredit and destroy him. It is in the context of answering his critics that Jesus reveals one of the most important truths of scripture.
A Pharisee, an expert in the law, a scholar, comes to Jesus asking what is really important. What is the most important commandment? What rises above all else in serving God? What do I need to know to be what God want me to be?
Jesus replies;
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. (Mt. 22:37)
Just as these leaders needed to accept and believe this truth, we need to love God with ALL OUR HEART,
ALL OUR SOUL, and with ALL OUR MIND.
Today let us look at loving God with all our heart.
Basically, if we are going to love God with all our heart, we are going to fall in love with him all over again!
In Revelation 2, John shared the words of Jesus with the church at Ephesus. Jesus had many good thing to say about the church, but he had one problem that if not corrected would destroy their ability to fulfill their potential.
Look at Revelation 2
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance… 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. (NLT)
All through the scripture we see a series of what we could call “Spiritual Cycles” in which people go from spiritual revival to spiritual decline. In this cycle a great leader with a love for the Lord ignites a passion and love for the Lord in his people. The people repent, turn to God, fall in love again, and God’s greatness is celebrated, the people become great and God is glorified.
It’s in the following generations that things begin to change. As the young mature, they do not know of the revival that took place in their parents, grandparents and nation. They do not have the same heart for God and the slowly begin to turn away. Slowly the nation falls into decline and eventually tragedy strikes. In many cases years go by and God’s people are beaten down, at times they were slaves in captivity. Then God sends one who again falls in love with him and ignites the hearts of the people and the cycle starts over again.
I remember when I first met Kim, my wife; she was all I could think about. I wanted to spend every moment with her. She became everything to me and I thought in “Hallmark Phrases”. We have been married for 23 years now and our love grows stronger every day. We have had our moments but as we get older we realize just how much a gift God has given to us.
Many relationships start out strong but through the years, instead of the love growing, they become distant and even disturbed by the other. Sadly many relationships could best be described like an illustration a read years ago called the “Marriage cold” It went something like this;
Year 1: Honey I’m so sorry you are sick, can I get you some soup, a blanket, some tissues, rub your back.
Year 2: Hey, it is horrible to be sick, there is some soup in the fridge, and here is a blanket
Year 3: Hey, don’t you think you need to go to work? I’ll have some soup ready; when you get home.
Year 4: Don’t even start! We have bills to pay so you can’t afford to stay home! Go to work and go by the store and get some canned soup on the way home!
Year 5: You’ve got to be kidding! Get over it already!
According to our Lord, when everything else is gone, these three will remain, faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
Let me ask; Are you in love with God? Is he on your mind all the time? Do you want to spend every moment with Him? Is He everything to you? Do you think his words? Does your relationship get stronger with time? Or could you best describe your relationship to God like the “Marriage cold”.
God wants our love! He wants it to be all about Him and for us to love him with all our heart. If your spark has faded, I encourage you to go back in your heart to the beginning and fall in love all over again.
God has something very special planned for us! We have a “God Potential” but God will not fulfill what he has planned for us until we realize it’s “All About Him” and love Him with all our heart.
Fall in love with God again! Spend time with him! Get to know him!
Love him!!
~Mike
