We must love God with all our heart, soul and 'very'

As Valentine’s Day approaches and our thoughts turn to love, I recall a time I had recently speaking to a group of young people in Wellsburg, Iowa. My only prerequisite was to base our time together around Mark 12:30.

In Mark chapter 12, some Pharisees and Sadducees came to debate Jesus. Finally a scribe, who heard Jesus answer them well, asked if Jesus could tell him which commandment was the most important. Jesus said, in Mark 12:30, that we must love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Jesus was not saying anything new. Jesus was quoting the Torah. Deuteronomy 6:5 is the Scripture, and it states we must love God with all our heart, soul, and ‘very.’

No, this is not a typo. In Hebrew, the word translates to English as “very.” Scholars and academics had a hard time agreeing on an exact translation. After all, how do you love God with your “very”?

Many Bible versions render it as “might,” but Jesus clarifies in Mark, saying to love God with all your mind and strength. Jesus suggests that we love with our cognitive and emotional self — strength — “very,” both physical and mental fortitude.

Jesus is not merely saying that this is the first of the two greatest commands; He is saying that a relationship — friendship with God, requires a lot of work.

Some people, like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the scribe, thought that showing up on the Sabbath, debating Jesus, or being Jewish prepared them for a friendship with God.

Jesus told them, and He tells us, that a friendship with God requires much more effort. Going to church is essential, but Jesus said the most important thing is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Reading your Bible is vital, but it’s not enough. Praying is important, but it’s not enough. We must spend time with God daily, building a friendship with Him. We must put our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength into building that friendship.

When it comes to building a relationship with God, it takes more than just showing up at church on Sunday. We must love Him wholeheartedly. That means we love God from the depths of our being. We must love Him with our whole soul, meaning we love God with the deepest part of our being. We must love God with our entire mind. That means we love Him with our most profound focus. We must love God with all our strength. That means we love Him without giving up when times are tough — mentally or physically.

The good news is that when we build a genuine friendship with God, we do not just show up at church as a “check off” — read the Bible to check it off our list — or call ourselves a Christian without knowing Christ. When we know friendship with God and truly love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then out of that love, we want to attend church, spend time in the Word, and pray.

I encourage you to take time to build a genuine relationship with God. I promise that will be the most incredible friendship you will ever form.