I will love You, O Lord, with my heart. I will love You with my mind. I will love You with my strength and I will love You with all that is within me.

I have been thinking about how love as our culture understands it is not love at all according to Jesus. This is perhaps one of the greatest deceptions. We think if we feel some feeling toward God that we are loving Him. While loving Him may be accompanied by a feeling, that feeling is not in and of itself fulfilling His command to love Him.

So what is love by God's standards? I don't know yet. I know it has to do with laying down one's life for one's friends. It is kind, unselfish, patient, not rude, and not boastful. It delights with the truth and does not count another's wrongs. Love always hopes, always believes, and love endures all things. Love never fails.

Jesus said if we love Him we will obey His commands.

This got me thinking... what are His commands? Love God and love your neighbor. Does this mean to pray and worship a little and be nice to people around you? Yes, but that's not the whole. There are so many commandments! And I am learning to love each one and hold myself to its standard. This draws me away from the world in thought and action and pushes me closer to holiness. I want to see the Lord. Without holiness, no one will see Him. Yet, Jesus does not take us out of the world, but wants us to be salt and light in it. For that, we need power- the kingdom of God is not in word, but in POWER. Help me, Lord.

Praise You, Lord! Help me to truly love, You. Teach me Your ways, O Lord.