Devotionals for the Heart: A true love that is always committed to God

Committed Love
A devotional by Essie Faye

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”—Deuteronomy 6:5 (NKJV)
There are so many people who don’t truly know what love is.

People use the word “love” without deep meaning and care. They attach it to manipulative actions. Others use it emptily without actions of support, care, or concern. Some people swear they love you while behaving in unloving ways and causing you pain intentionally. It is hurtful to realize that you’re not loved by someone who either professed their love for you or should love you.

Scripture defines “love” as incredibly good. The Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8). Scripture also says in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (NIV), “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

God’s love for humankind is limitless. We cannot measure His love for us, but we have evidence of His love each day. He preserves our lives. He cares for us. He provides for our needs. He gives us good things. He comforts us when we are sad and heals us when we are hurting. He gives us joy in sorrow. God always shows up for us. Our Heavenly Father (God) constantly communicates His love for us. He does this through His creation, Scripture, our life circumstances, our relationships, and through prayer. He deserves our love in return.

Deuteronomy 6:5 commands us to love God with every fiber of our being. With everything that we are and all that we have, we should love Him. What does this look like? This looks like committing to make God the center in our life. Committed love for God means deciding to honor God in our daily living. We honor Him by adopting His views about life and obeying His commands. We chose to follow Jesus Christ (God’s Son) all the way to Heaven.

Loving the Lord our God with all our heart means that we align our passions with His. We love what God loves and we hate what He hates. We are sensitive to issues that concern Him. This means that we act with compassion toward others. We express our sympathy and speak with empathy. We refuse to be insensitive, hateful nor rude to anyone. In essence, we exemplify the characteristics of Christ. We are not perfect, but we are striving to be Christ-like every day.

Loving the Lord our God with all our soul means that we discipline our emotions and thoughts so that they align with God’s standards and perspective. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, the Apostle Paul says that we must bring into captivity every thought and cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God. He often teaches about the importance of disciplining our mind as we follow Christ. We must have a paradigm shift and renew our minds daily. We must examine our thought life and make changes so that we develop the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5).

Loving the Lord our God with all our strength means using our efforts to love God. It is using our energy and time to actively and intentionally love Him. Our actions toward ourselves, God, and others should demonstrate our love for God. Loving God takes work—faith and work to be exact. Love is more than lip service; love is action. 1 John 4:20 (NIV) says, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” Our relationship with ourselves and others is a direct reflection of our love for God.

Call to Action:

1. Examine your definition of love.

2. See God’s love in your life daily.

3. Love Him in return.

4. Demonstrate your love for God by obeying His Word and living according to His standards.

5. Remember: God’s love deserves to be reciprocated. Will you choose to love Him in return?

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us. Cause us to experience the reality of your love each day. Give us the desire to love You in return. Cause us to see your love daily. Help us aim to love You, ourselves, and others. Expand our capacity to love passionately and intentionally. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayers. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Love God Love People” by Danny Gokey. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Essie Faye is a woman of faith. 

She’s a bilingual author, educator, speaker, psalmist, and interpreter.

Essie is the author of the “Finding the Love You Deserve” series for women and teens. She is deeply committed to motivating minorities, women, and youth to heal themselves, love and accept themselves, and pursue God while chasing their dreams and carving out their life’s path.

Essie is a Chicago native.

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Connect with Essie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_essie_faye/
Read Essie’s YouVersion Devotion Plan here:
https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/58980-grow-through-it-7-healing-practices-that