All There Is

Is Jesus really all there is? My husband recently said to me, "All your writing seems to have a theme. You always say that God is the only important thing, what about your family?"

I told him at the time, "you have a point, I will think about that." Here is what I've come up with...

Jesus says, "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 12:30)

Notice the word "all". Then notice that "all" is repeated four times. If you give All of your heart, mind, soul and your strength, that doesn't leave much for anything else.

"Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33)

So, then what does it mean to give your all to God. Should we all then become monks in a monastery and spend the rest of our days in silent prayer? No, of course not. That's silly. It's actually way harder than just That!

We are to love others. So wait, YES our families are important to spend our energy loving. Not just saying I love you at the end of a phone call or email and not just a goodnight I love you kiss before bed. True Love to ALL (there's that word again).

If you're at all like me, there doesn't seem to be anything harder than a vow of silence at a monastery. Consider with me, though, what love really is:

"Love is patient (even when the lady in front of you at the grocery has 3 types of food stamps).
Love is kind (even to your boss when you swear they have tried to sabotage you).
Love does not envy (even when your neighbor buys that new car you've been saying you want but can't afford)
Love does not boast (even when you were so right and they were so wrong)
Love is not proud (even when you accomplish something everyone said you couldn't)" (1 Cor 13:4, added comments mine)

I could stop there and most of us are ready to sign up for the "silent thing", but it goes even deeper.

"Love Does not dishonor others (even when they deserve it)
Love is not self-seeking (even when it deserved it)
Love is not easily angered (even when you're in rush hour traffic)
Love keeps no record of wrongs (even when you want to remind your husband of that horrible 1st Valentines Day together)" (1 Cor 13:5, comments added mine)

In the end I have concluded that both answers to the question at hand are wholly correct. God is Everything. He IS The prize. And by making God everything, you will make his people everything.

""The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"(Matt 25:40)

The two greatest commandments, Love God and Love others. (see Matt 22:37-40). You really can't have one without the other. You cannot truly love God and not love others and you also cannot truly love others without first loving God.

Reflection Question: Are you trying to love God without loving others, or trying to love others without first loving God?