FIRSTಮಾದರಿ

Why?

By Marcus Brecheen

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list.” Matthew 22:37–38 (MSG)

A few summers ago, I learned how to fly fish. Our family was on vacation in Colorado, and as a gift, my family hired a fishing guide to teach me this intricate sport. The weather was beautiful. The fish were plentiful. It was one of the greatest days of my life. To say that I love fly fishing now would be an understatement. I love the feeling I get when I’m in the old fly shop. I love buying gear, learning where the rods are made, studying how to “match the hatch” and how different kinds of trout feed in different environments. But most of all, I love wading through a mountain stream, fly rod in hand.

But I have to be truthful: it’s not always a lot of fun. A day of fly fishing is usually a day spent out in the middle of nowhere where just about anything can happen. Like the many times I’ve eaten a sandwich in a rainstorm—soggy bread and all. Or the kazillion times I’ve had to untangle my line, straining my fortysomething eyes through the frustration of undoing hopeless knots. Then there was the time I hiked miles to a deserted stream and not long afterward a high-country storm moved through. It rained for over an hour and hailed for half of that, but I couldn’t get under a tree because lightning was striking all around. I wasn’t at all sure I’d make it out alive. It would have taken weeks for me to be found. But even though I was completely soaked and shivering from the cold, I chose to finish my day fly fishing in the middle of a river. Why? Because I love it so much.

All of us have things we love to do. And with time our desire often grows, so we expend both emotional and intellectual energy pursuing it. We spend time thinking about how we’d like to be better at it. We study new techniques. We invest our money and ourselves in it. And we’re willing to endure whatever work is necessary. Why? Because we love it so much.

God didn’t create us to only relate to Him with the spiritual part of our lives. He created us to relate to Him and express His likeness through all of life—body, will, mind and emotions. God made us like Himself so that we could worship, love and enjoy Him with every part of who we are. Our intellect and emotions are gifts from Him designed for His pleasure and glory. Sadly though, most religious people separate their intellect and emotions from their relationship with God, dialing it all down to behavior. Lists. Dos and don’ts. Discipline. Yawn!

In Mark 12:30, Jesus commands you to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” What would happen if you began to fully invest your intellect and emotions—your thoughts and your feelings—in pursuing God? The possibilities are endless! Ultimately, there is nothing more exciting and satisfying than using your mental and emotional capabilities to honor Him. And since God created our intellect and emotions, it only makes sense that our greatest investment of these should be in the Lord Himself. Why? Because He loves you so much.

Being a Christian is about engaging the mind and heart more and more, not shutting them off or letting someone else think for you.

~ Rob Bell

Memory Verse

But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6