Matthew 22:34-37
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

Devotion: Have you ever tried to open a really heavy door that you didn’t know was really heavy? You probably didn’t use your full strength at first. Sometimes we can approach our faith with the same lackluster effort, and the result can be painfully similar—we feel foolish. Start using your full strength to love God on the first attempt. In your relationships, with your finances, with your talents and abilities, with your words—use your whole heart, your whole mind, and all of your
strength.

Something to think about: On our journey to becoming love this is everything. The SINGLE GREATEST COMMAND IS TO LOVE GOD. Not just on Sundays. Not just when it’s convenient, but every day, in every circumstance—full stop.

Something to pray about: “God, I love you! But I want to love you with my whole heart, my whole mind, and all of my strength. Help me see areas in my life that I have only been loving you half-way.”

Matthew 22:38-40
This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Devotion: Don’t you think it’s interesting that the man asked for one commandment and Jesus gave him two? Jesus couldn’t say the first one without blurting out the second. This is similar to mashed potatoes and gravy—rarely are these not mentioned in tandem. But whereas gravy is just a compliment to mashed potatoes, loving people is an expression of loving God. Jesus wasn’t just listing commandments that pair nicely together, he was explaining that these are one in the same. That in fact, we cannot fulfill the first if we are not also obedient to the second.

Something to think about: When you think about your life (i.e. your actions, words, relationships) has this command taken a back seat to a preference, your personal comfort or maybe even pain? If so, it may be time to do some rearranging. Nothing should keep us from loving God’s people! Jesus said ALL of the law and the prophets (God’s Word up until that point in time) hang on it. But this is easier said than done, and we will all need the help of the Holy Spirit.

Something to pray about: “God, help me to orient my life around LOVE! Show me where in my life I haven’t been obedient to this command. Help me rearrange my life to make loving you and your people first, and everything else second.”

Luke 10:25-29
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Devotion:  It seems like this man would ask this question for one of two reasons. Either he truly wanted to know who was included, or he wanted to justify who he had already excluded. Have you ever found yourself making amendments to this command that exclude people based on how they’ve treated you, who they voted for, or what they do in their spare time? Nothing will halt our progress quicker on the road to becoming love. If you have tried to add amendments or footnotes to loving your neighbor, it’s not too late to rip them up! Let’s spend 2021 loving without exclusions.

Something to think about: When you zoom out on google maps you can see a lot more surface area in a lot less detail. While it’s clear that we are called to love everyone, if we zoom out too far on this commandment we run the risk of generally loving everyone but actually loving no one. Write the names of three “neighbors” that you can actually love this week with no amendments.

Something to pray about: “Jesus, remind me who my neighbors are at work/school, at the gym, in my actual neighborhood, etc. Help me to stop excluding people and start loving them like you have loved me.”

Matthew 5:43-45
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Devotion: Participation trophies are a nice gesture. They make everyone feel included and special, but they aren’t very valuable. In this passage Jesus is telling his followers that loving people that already love you is the bare minimum—the equivalent of just showing up; a participation trophy. What is far more meaningful to Jesus is when we love our enemies. This is one of those sunday school lessons that we memorize and recognize but rarely internalize. Let’s be clear, this is not a metaphor. Jesus is actually telling you to love the people in your life that DO NOT love you.

Something to think about: How does that reality sit with you? It may be helpful to remember Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Long before you committed your life to following Christ, he died on a cross for you! With the help of His holy spirit, can’t we then show love to our neighbors, co-workers, and classmates that we don’t get along with?

Something to pray about: "Jesus, thank you for loving me even before I loved you. Help me to do the same for my own enemies.”

Philippians 2:1-4
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Devotion: If you’re like me, you laughed a little when you read “be of one mind”. In 2021? Really, Paul? It seems like right now, everyone has an opinion on everything and now more than ever those opinions are broadcast for everyone to hear. How on earth are we supposed to be of one mind? Lucky for us, Paul gives us the answer in verse 3 when he says, “in humility, value others above yourself—not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of others.” The one mind that Paul is talking about is not a list of theologies or principles or beliefs that we need consensus on. Rather Paul is saying that in every opinion and with every interest, value others above yourself. He goes on to talk about Christ’s ultimate example of this, as he gave up his throne in heaven to come to earth in perfect humility—an essential ingredient in becoming love.

Something to think about: Far too often we are more concerned about being right than we are about the relationship at hand. We should hold tight to our convictions and stand up for truth, but if we squeeze humility out of the equation we will have failed to love the way that Jesus did.

Something to pray about: : “Lord, help me to take on the mindset of Christ—that I may show humility in all things and value other people’s interests above my own!”

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

Devotion: Have you ever heard someone refer to something as “hit or miss”? It’s kind of silly if you think about it because that phrase can literally apply to everything. But here in his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul makes a pretty strong case that the life we live for Jesus is hit or miss and it all depends on love. Incredible miracles, spirit lead-prophecy, and life changing ministry are nothing without love. ANYTHING - LOVE = NOTHING.

Something to think about: We all want to do amazing things for Jesus, and we should! But the most amazing thing we can do for Jesus is to love. It’s hit or miss.

Something to pray about: “Jesus, in my life, in my family and my relationships, at work and at school—help me to do everything in love. I don’t want to accomplish anything in your name if it’s void of love.”

1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant...

Devotion: If we’re really going to become love, we had better know what it looks like. Just as a budding flower shows signs of life in a plant, patience and kindness show signs of love in a Christian. But today, allow me to focus on the idea that love does not boast. I heard someone say once that there are two kinds of people in this world. When walking into a room, the first kind says “Here I am!” while the second says “There you are!” Jesus had all the reasons in the world to boast about his coming, yet he was the best example of a “there you are” person that there will ever be.

Something to think about: Learning about and celebrating other people is such an amazing way to be love. Boasting will almost always flatten opportunities to do this.

Something to pray about: “God, help me to be a “there you are” person. I want to do a better job of celebrating those around me this week.”

1 Corinthians 13:5
...or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful...

Devotion: This verse is good news. Paul is explaining that love doesn’t always require a grand gesture or a costly sacrifice! We don’t need elaborate plans or expensive gifts to love people well, we just need to not be irritable and resentful. So how come when we read that some of us felt like becoming love was further out of reach than before? Because sometimes the big, infrequent gestures of love are easier than not being irritable towards your kids, spouse, parent, or co-worker. Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals. If we’re going to become love and not just show love a few times a year, we’re going to need some grit. When we’re about to lose our patience or when we’re feeling resentful, we need to dig deep and find some more grace for the people around us.

Something to think about: We are always quick to accept God’s grace when we mess up, but we can be so slow to extend it. Yes, Jesus performed the greatest gesture of love EVER when he bore our sins on the cross, but he also loves us daily—with a whole lot of grit.

Something to pray about: “God, help me to be less irritable. I want to have more patience and grace in interactions with my family and friends. Help me to be quick to listen and slow to anger.”

1 Corinthians 13:6-7 (The Message Translation)
[Love] doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

Devotion: Our lives are full of both things to celebrate and complain about so both are easily found depending on what we’re looking for. Take 2020 for example. It’s safe to assume you had to cancel a lot of plans, but maybe those cancellations provided some much needed space in your calendar. Maybe you were forced to work from home and become a part time teacher for your own kiddos, which proved very difficult but also paved the way for so many more special moments with them. The point is not to tally up good and bad, but to instead spend more time and energy looking for the good. The same principle is true in our relationships with others, and as Paul says, “love always looks for the best.”

Something to think about: People are both flawed and amazing; caring and insensitive; short tempered and surprisingly patient; thoughtful and ignorant. Jesus’ closest friends were liars, cheaters, and sinners. But as Jesus continued to look for the best in each of them and he always found it. He’s doing the same for you. Are you looking for the best versions of the people around you or are you too busy watching and waiting for them to disappoint you?

Something to pray about: “Jesus, just as you continue to see the best in me even when I mess up, help me to see the best in everyone else.”

1 John 3:18
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Devotion: Every single day you have a million opportunities to tell someone you love them. You can shoot them a text, write them a letter, tell them in person, or if you really want to embarrass them you can post on their Facebook wall. Telling people you love them is great—we all need to hear it more than we do. But something that I have noticed as I’ve gotten older, is that there are far less opportunities to show someone you love them. John’s challenge to us here is an important one to remember for our journey ahead. Will you show up when your friend had a bad day? Will you drive an hour to the funeral just to give your co-worker a hug?

Something to think about: Jesus was amazing at this. He had trained his eyes to see all of these opportunities and he almost always took advantage of them. Will you notice these chances to show someone you love them in deed?

Something to pray about: “God, help me to love not just in word but in deed. Help me to see opportunities to show those around me that I truly love them.”

Colossians 3:12-14
[B]earing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Devotion: In just about every sport, teams wear a jersey or uniform. While colored clothing helps fans to know what players are on which team, they mean far more to the players wearing them. To an athlete, a jersey is a tangible representation of the unseen hours of practice and sacrifice. A jersey means it’s game day! And maybe most important, a jersey reminds them which family they belong to. In this passage, Paul is telling us to put on love like it’s a jersey. Think about the ways that Jesus has shown His love for us. Wear your love proudly for the world to see. And, by all means remember which family you belong to.

Something to think about: It takes about 5 seconds for a football player to put on a jersey but if he doesn’t he won’t be allowed to take the field. It’s a small omission with a pretty significant outcome. I think forgetting to put on love has a similar effect in our daily lives.

Something to pray about: “God, I’m making the decision right now to put on love today. I refuse to sit out. I will wear your love for all to see today.”

2 Timothy 1:7
[F]or God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Devotion: Have you ever gotten half way through assembling a piece of furniture only to discover you didn’t have all the supplies needed to complete it? Is there anything more frustrating? Becoming love is difficult (more difficult than putting together something from IKEA, although it’s probably close). We know what we’re supposed to say and how we’re supposed to act but it feels like we don’t have everything we need to actually follow through. In his letter to Timothy, Paul encourages his friend with a truth that I think we all need to hear. God has given us a spirit of power, LOVE and self-control.

Something to think about: This year, if you find yourself struggling to love the way that Jesus has commanded us, lean into the spirit of love that he has already equipped you with. Or as Paul says in the previous verse, “fan the flame.”

Something to pray about: “Lord, I know you have already equipped me to love the people in my life. I want to walk firmly in the spirit of power, love, and self control.”

Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Devotion: Any thought, explanation or illustration that I could put here would only detract from the beauty of what Paul has penned to conclude Romans 8. Instead, just read those verses again. (seriously, read it again).

Something to think about: Jesus’ love for you is perfect. It’s all-encompassing and never-ending. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ. Let His love for you be the well from which you draw as you love those around you.

Something to pray about: “Jesus, thank you that nothing can separate me from your love! Help this truth to sink into my soul today and everyday. As I love those around me, allow me to always remember the way in which you love me.”

1 John 4:15-16
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Devotion: I hope by this point the Word of God has convinced you of your calling to love others. But as we conclude our fast, I think it’s worth saying that these devotionals are just a primer—something to get us thinking. The rest of the year is about doing. As you practice patience with your kids, show grace to your co-worker, and believe the best about your neighbor, you will abide in God and God will abide in you. Become love. Become a place where God abides.

Something to think about: All of these verses the last two weeks look great on bulletin boards and canvases. But what happens tomorrow when someone that you don’t respect says something that frustrates you? How will you continue to fight for more love in your life?

Something to pray about: “Jesus, I need your help daily, but I want to become more like you every day this year. I want to love you more and I want to become LOVE to those around me.”