The Two Greatest Commandments Are to Love!
Wanting to test Jesus, an expert teacher of the law asked Jesus a question.“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
February has young people in many cultures thinking about love, valentines, candy, and other gifts of affection. A Christian doesn’t need February to roll around to think about love. God’s Word is filled with verses about love. Because God so loved the world, He sent His Son, John 3:16. Jesus’ death was an act of love. He said that no one would take His life from Him but that He would willingly give it, John 10:18. He had loved all those that the Father had given Him and loved them to the end, John 13:1. Jesus understood love. His love with the Father was perfect, John 17:26. His love for His people is perfect 1 John 4:10. That is just to mention a few of the verses that come to mind when we think about love.
One of the last commandments that Jesus gave His disciples was to love one another. At the last supper He had with them He commanded that they love one another, John 13:34-35 This would set them apart and make them known as His disciples. Love for one another was to be the mark of a Christ follower.
Love is important to God and so it must be important to us. We can’t keep that second great commandment unless we keep the first and greatest one, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ There is nothing greater that we need to teach out children than what it means to love God and through that love that flows from Him through us, to love one another. We were created for community. We need to have a loving relationship with our creator, His desire is that same kind of loving relationship with one another.
Helping our children develop an intimate relationship with God where they come to that place of loving Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, is the only way that they will ever live the life of faith that we are called to live. We can’t love others or even ourselves until first we experience the love of God to us, for us, and in us. Helping our little ones be intimate with God is the first step in building that relationship that will motivate a true life of godliness. Our goal is to example loving God and loving others well. Our hope is that we will foster that same love in the hearts of our children.
Take advantage of this February focus on love and use it as a springboard to teach your children about the love described in the Bible. Be creative and come up with some fun activities or crafts to instigate and opportunity to talk about true love. Powerful love. Eternal love. “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love. By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him.1 John 4:7-9
Suzi Ciliberti
Suzi Ciliberti works for Christar, a Missions Agency that plants churches among least-reached Asians worldwide. She served in Japan for two years as a single missionary and another nine with her husband and two children, then the family returned to the states. She and her husband have been serving in the US Mobilization Center since 2000. As a part of the Member Care Department, Suzi is consultant to families with children. She has been working as a children’s teacher since she was 17 and began her training under Child Evangelism Fellowship. She has taught in the church, as a school teacher for two years in a Christian elementary school, and as a speaker for adults training to work with children. She has also trained children, who are a part of families that work overseas, in their identity in Christ. She brings 44 years of teaching experience to her work. She loves creative writing as well as teaching and has found great fulfillment in combining the two as she blogs for Heartprints. She finds it a great privilege and joy to serve the Lord and His people. One of her favorite verses is Deuteronomy 4:10b, "Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children."
You May Also Like
The Importance of Thanksgiving
What Really Matters in How We Spend Our Time?
