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Life is filled with overwhelming emotions, unexpected challenges, and unpredictable relationships which can all cause our hearts to become selfish in an effort to survive. So many people and things compete for our hearts and attention that it can seem impossible to be whole-hearted for anything, let alone God. However, it is possible to be whole-hearted and God’s love paves the way to give our hearts completely to him if we follow his word.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23

Our hearts determine how we handle everything that life throws our way. The bible says to be careful about what we allow into our hearts and what we allow our hearts to be devoted to.

Compelled By Love

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Jesus set the ultimate example of what it means to show love to people by dying on the cross for sins he never committed. In response, we have a choice to let his love compel us to live for him, or to ignore him and live for ourselves.

Who are you living for right now?

“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit.

Revelation 3:15-16

God wants us to be either all in or all out, but not in between. Have you ever drunk milk that has been left outside the fridge for a few hours? Gross! It’s no fun to drink at all.

Are you hot, cold, or stale spiritually?

How do you know? Hot (Acts 13:22); Cold (Matt 24:12); Stale (Matt 23:25-28)

One of the teachers of the law came and heard Jesus arguing with the Sadducees. Seeing that Jesus gave good answers to their questions, he asked Jesus, “Which of the commands is most important?” Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’

Mark 12:28-30

God wants us to give him the best of everything we have to offer. In sports and other areas of life, “potential” is a big word. It means that there is room for more achievement within an individual. God doesn’t want us to have the “potential” to love him, because he wants us to actually love him with all we have.

How much are you loving God right now? 1%? 25%? 50%? 75%? 100%? What would it look like for you to really love God with everything you have?

How early would you wake up to spend time with him? How long would you spend listening to him (reading the bible) and talking (praying) to him? What would you be willing to give up in order to be close to him?

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters

Colossians 3:23

Watching a video of a lion chasing an antelope is a great snapshot of two animals working with all their hearts. Survival is at stake for both parties, but only one will succeed. They do it for themselves, but we get to work with all our hearts for God.

What do you work hard for in life? Relationships, money, toys, etc.? Why? How can you obey this verse today? How can you obey this everyday?

Written by

Bay Area Christian Church

This was created by a member of the Bay Area Christian Church team.