Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord Praise the Lord!

                                                                                                                   Psalm 150:1-6 

The second aspect of the first commandment is the prioritizing of our worship and devotion to God. Worshiping God is a vital part of this life. It is for what we were designed and because of this truth, everyone worships something or someone. A quick glance at how we spend our time, money, and devotion will reveal what or who is at the center of our worship. For those who worship the One true God, there is blessing, joy, and strength. But for those who do not, tragically, these spiritual attributes are forfeited. When asked about the commandments, Jesus identified the importance of making God the priority in our lives as He spoke the following:

Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.”

                                                                                                            Matthew 22:36-38 

Loving God With Our Whole Heart

Jesus tells us that the most important thing that anyone can do is to love the Lord, being fully devoted to Him alone. God is not to be a part of our lives rather He is to be our lives! We should place Him directly in the center of everything that we do. This is where Jesus begins this threefold declaration our where our devotion to God should be found.

The centrality of Jesus as Lord of our lives is at the core of true Christian discipleship. Jesus says that we should love God with our entire heart. This word comes from the Greek kardia. It signifies what is at the center of our lives. Just as our physical heart rests in the center of our chests, our spiritual heart acts as the center and seat of our affections. The heart signifies what is really important to us. We may have heard someone declare to another, “I love you with all of my heart.” This individual is conveying that their devotion and love is focused on the other person. Our devotion and love should be centered on the Person of Jesus Christ.

Loving God With Our Whole Soul

In addition to placing God in the center of our hearts, Jesus declares that we should love God with our entire soul. This word comes from the Greek psuche. While similar to the heart, our soul represents our true self. It is the part of us that we can hide from others but cannot conceal from God. This is the portion of our being that will exist into eternity, either in fellowship with God or in separation from Him. “To love God with our soul” is to desire Him above all other things and this desire comes from the very depths of our beings. Loving God with our souls is to long for Him and Him alone. It is a very personal and intimate experience to love God with our souls. This is the way that we should experience our devotion and love for God.

Loving God With Our Whole Mind

Jesus concludes with declaring that we are to love God with our entire mind. This word comes from the Greek dianoia. This is the portion of our being in which we think, reason, and question. Our minds should be fully focused on the things of God. We are to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). We are to renew our minds by focusing on God (Romans 12:2). And we are to study scripture to show ourselves approved by God (2 Timothy 2:15). As we participate in these things, we demonstrate that we love God with our minds.

The first commandment can be summed up in the idea of placing God at the center of everything that we do. Our love, devotion, and thinking should be centered in the Person of Jesus Christ and this all begins when we are born again (John 3:3). Consider these passages regarding the prioritizing of God:

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

                                                                                                                        John 3:3 

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

                                                                                                                 Matthew 6:19-21 

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

                                                                                                               Matthew 6:33 

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

                                                                                                       2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Today’s passage comes from Psalm 150 and acts as a wonderful template for worshiping God. Spend some time this week speaking it to God and enjoying His presence!