Devotional: The Greatest Command- An Integrated Life
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ … ‘And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
— Matthew 22:37, 39 (NIV)
We live in a culture that encourages compartmentalization. You have your work life, your family life, your social life, your faith life. Most of us have learned to manage these separate areas just to function. But over time, those boxes can start to feel disconnected. You might find yourself being one version of you at work, another at home, and someone else entirely at church. That kind of fragmentation leads to exhaustion and, eventually, to spiritual compromise.
When Jesus answered the Pharisees’ question about the greatest commandment, He didn’t just provide good theology. He offered a way of life. Loving God with your whole heart, soul, and mind brings every scattered part of you together. Jesus adds a second commandment that He says is just like the first: love your neighbor as yourself. These two loves are inseparable. You cannot live out one without the other.
Integrity doesn't come from trying harder to be a better person. It comes from pursuing God. He is the one who makes your life whole. Your devotion to Him shapes who you are in every environment. He doesn't want to live in one small part of your life. He wants to be the foundation that everything else is built on.
This week, ask yourself: Am I loving God with all of me, or just a part?
Questions for Reflection
Are there areas of your life where you feel like a different person than you are at church?
What would it look like to love God with your whole self today?
Is there a part of your life that you've kept separate from your relationship with God?
Who is one neighbor, friend, or coworker you can love with intentionality this week?
Prayer
Father,
Thank You for loving me first. I admit that I often live in compartments, giving You some parts of my life but not all. Help me to love You with my whole heart, soul, and mind. Teach me what it means to live with integrity, where every part of who I am belongs to You. And help me to love others as You have loved me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Dig Deeper
Deuteronomy 6:4–5 — The original commandment Jesus quoted
Blog: What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Read more in this discipleship.org blog series: The Greatest Commandment: Part 1- With All Your Heart, Part 2- With All Your Soul, Part 3- With All Your Mind, Part 4- With All Your Strength
God doesn’t want to be part of your life. He wants to be the center of it. The greatest commandment is not about performance. It is an invitation to wholeness, peace, and joy. When you love God with all that you are, your life becomes one story instead of several disconnected ones. Everything begins to come together when you live under the covering of His love.
