The Greatest Commandment

The Greatest Commandment

The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” Luke 10:27-28

“What is my purpose in life?” It’s a question many people ask but few really answer. Some people constantly strive for ways to satisfy themselves—in relationships, careers, possessions, and much more—but that focus on self always ends up being unsatisfying. God created us for something more focused on others and more fulfilling. Jesus made it clear that our purpose is to love God and love others.

What does that look like in our lives? As we pursue God’s purpose for us, it helps to ask what kind of world we want to live in. When we look beyond ourselves to see what needs to be done, we will have a much better idea of what God wants us to do. We find fulfillment not only in pursuing ways to improve ourselves but in enriching other people’s lives. We’ve all seen people less fortunate than ourselves, people who seem to have little hope for change unless someone intervenes. We’ve seen communities and nations go through difficulties and wrestle with problems like starvation or disease that we may never have to worry about. We may not have a full solution to any of these problems, but we can affect lives one at a time. Loving God will fill us with a desire and a vision to improve our homes, our towns, our countries, and the world.

I believe our purpose is to serve God and use whatever He has given us to help others. When we focus on that, we find the joy and abundant life Jesus promised. We find that we are much more fulfilled when we use our passions and abilities to make a difference in someone’s life.

You may not reach every goal in life—in fact, you probably won’t—but you can fulfill your purpose. When you love God, you are doing what He made you for; and when you love others, you are expressing His own attitude toward them. You can find peace and happiness in the knowledge that you are satisfying your purpose and honoring Him.

Uncommon Key > Loving God and others is not only the best thing you can do for them, it’s the best thing you can do for yourself. As you begin, look first to your friends and how you can serve them.