Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment.
- Matthew 22:37-38
Every year on New Year's Day, I have a tradition where I take the time to reflect and consider my values and goals for the year. Some people take the time to set New Year's resolutions, while others set intentions. Oftentimes, it is a time when we consider what we would want, how we can improve and do better, and what we hope to achieve by the year's end.
The theme for this week on Christian Calm Radio is "God First", and it is intentionally timed to the start of the year because it is important that while we are considering what we want to do and what we want to do, that we do not lose sight of God. By seeking God and his kingdom, we can feel reassured that all of the other things we wish for will come if we would only first trust in the Lord. Sometimes our prayers are not answered in the way we imagined, but often times it is many times better if we would allow God's will to be prioritized.
For this reason, if we are to prioritize God's will, what then is his guidance for us? One of the Pharisees once asked Jesus, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (Matthew 22:36). Jesus responded that we are to love our Lord with all our hearts, our souls, and our mind.
As we begin this year then, whatever goals or resolutions we may have, let it be led first by this commandment. Let loving God be your priority for this year.
Reflection: What does it mean to you to love your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind?
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In the first weekly blog of the year, let us study the first and greatest commandment to help guide our new year's resolutions and goal setting. Supplement your worship with Christian hymns, gospel music, and contemporary worship music from Christian Calm Radio.