Living LifeWise: The Good SamaritanSample

You can probably think of people in your life who are “rule followers” and some who are “rule breakers.” Maybe you identify strongly with one or the other. Rules bring order and structure to society, giving a black-and-white system for how things should be.

Most religions base salvation to varying degrees on good deeds or “works.” But when Jesus was asked about the most important command, He didn’t focus on rules at all. Jesus pointed him to the foundation of the Law: love God with your entire being—your heart, soul, strength, and mind—and love your neighbor as yourself. These two commands are inseparable. True love for God naturally overflows into love for others, because every person we meet bears His image.

But here’s the challenge: we often want to compartmentalize our love. We’ll love God during worship on Sunday but ignore Him in the decisions we make during the week. We’ll love the people who are easy to love, like our friends and family members, but avoid the ones who irritate us, hurt us, or drain us.

Jesus calls us to something deeper. Loving God means surrendering every part of our lives to Him—our emotions, our thoughts, our priorities—and allowing that love to shape our words and actions. And when our hearts are fully His, we’ll begin to see others the way He does: as valuable, broken, beloved people in need of His grace.

This kind of love isn’t easy. But God doesn’t leave us to figure it out on our own. As we grow closer to Him, the Holy Spirit equips us to love sacrificially, even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable.

Reflect: Read Luke 10:25-28. Reflect on the desires of the man questioning Jesus. Think about how love plays a role in our posture toward God and others. Identify areas in your life where you might struggle to love God completely or to love others without conditions.

• What would it look like to love God with your whole self this week?
• How can you better reflect God’s love in your relationships?
• What keeps you from loving others the way God loves you?

Pray: Ask God to open your heart to His truth and help you identify any obstacles that hinder you from living with love.