“Jesus answered, ‘The most important [commandment] is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your SOUL and with all your mind and with all your strength.'” – Mark 12:29-30
To continue from yesterday’s devotion, what is our SOUL?
Our soul is our personality and the seat of our will. Confused? Think about it this way. When a man and woman fall in love, they get married. While passion may have drawn them together, it is a decision of the will that keeps them together in a committed relationship. The fact is that sinful human nature often causes us to be tempted to be unfaithful to our spouse. And if we act by our feelings alone, we would follow the temptation!
It’s during those times that we have to completely ignore temporary feelings and by an act of the will, decide to stay faithful. We express our love through this long-term faithfulness, loyalty, and devotion.
It’s the same with God. When we give our heart to God, we begin that relationship with Him. Then along the way, we’re tempted to fall into sin. And if we simply follow our feelings, we might give into the temptation. But if we’re really going to love God, we will choose to be faithful to Him, no matter what we’re feeling at the moment.
So, how do we love God with all our soul? We do it with our will.