Love: Living up to God’s top priorities to make a difference

Do you realize to make the biggest difference we need to put love as our top priority. We need to cling to the reality that Jesus tells us that love is part of the greatest commandments and can be summarized with two love statements. Let’s decide today to do everything we do out of love, not guilt or worry, not fear or doubt, not forced but by choice.

Remember what was said in Matthew 22 about Love in The Greatest Commandment:

³⁴Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment.³⁹And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV)

Today’s Verse of the Day:

Therefore, let’s be the dads who love God with a love that encompasses emotions, actions, thoughts, and intentions. Moreover, let’s be the dads who choose a lifelong journey of growing closer to God and living according to His commandments. Similarly, let’s be the dads who take a wholistic view towards our faith with the key element being love!

Firstly, let’s be the dads who have a genuine affection for God that involves having an emotional connection and deep love for God. Secondly, let’s be the dads who dedicate our entire life to God, that involves surrendering our will, desires, and ambitions to follow His teachings. Thirdly, let’s be the dads who make time to be in God’s Word so that we can engage our intellect in understanding and seeking Him through studying His Word, meditating on His teachings, and aligning your thoughts with His principles.

How can we apply today’s verse of the day to becoming the dads God created, planned, and purposes for us to be? What can we do to be the dads our wives, kids, and world need us to be?

Applications of Matthew 22:37 towards being the dads we are called to be:

• Lead with Love: Love God deeply and wholeheartedly, and let that love guide your actions and decisions as a father.
• Spiritual Role Model: Be a spiritual role model for your children by demonstrating your love for God through prayer, worship, and a committed faith life.
• Teach Faith: Share your faith with your children and help them develop their own relationship with God.
• Prioritize Values: Show your kids the importance of living out the values and principles of your faith in daily life.
• Foster a God-Centered Home: Create a home environment where God’s presence is felt, and faith is an integral part of family life.
• Prayerful Guidance: Seek God’s guidance through prayer when making important parenting decisions, and teach your children to do the same.
• Encourage Questions: Encourage your children to ask questions about faith and engage in open, honest discussions about God and spirituality.
• Serve Others: Demonstrate your love for God by serving others and involving your children in acts of kindness and charity.
• Practice Gratitude: Teach your children to be grateful for the blessings in their lives and to acknowledge God’s role in those blessings.
• Lead with Integrity: Live a life of integrity and moral values that align with your love for God, serving as a consistent example for your family.

By applying Matthew 22:37 in these ways, you can fulfill your calling as a dad to love God wholeheartedly and, in doing so, become the father your wives, kids, and the world need you to be.