In December of 1964, at just fourteen years old, I preached my very first sermon at Lee’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church near Laurel, Mississippi. The text I chose was Mark 12:30-31:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no commandment greater than these.”
I remember standing in that little country church, nervous and excited, trying my best to share God’s Word. Afterward, my Uncle Cleo, who was married to my Aunt Bess (my dad’s sister), told me I had delivered a good sermon — but if I had slowed down a little, he might have actually understood what I said!
At the time, I didn’t realize how deeply these verses would shape my life. Over the years, I’ve come to understand that this commandment isn’t just about feelings or words. It’s about giving our whole selves to God — our heart, soul, mind, and strength — and letting that love spill over to others.
Loving God with All Your Heart
The heart is where love begins. It’s the seat of our emotions and desires.
To love God with our heart means giving Him our deepest affections and loyalty. It’s not a half-hearted love, but one that says, “Lord, You come first in my life.”
This is where many of us struggle. Our hearts can get divided between God and the things of this world. Loving God with all our heart is a daily choice to make Him our priority — to let His love shape how we feel, what we value, and how we treat others.
Loving God with All Your Soul
The soul represents our very being — the essence of who we are.
To love God with all our soul means surrendering our entire life to Him. It’s saying, “Here I am, Lord. Use me for Your purposes.”
This isn’t just about Sunday morning worship. It’s about living every moment as an act of devotion. Whether we’re at work, at home, or serving in our community, we honor God with our lives. Loving Him with our soul means we are His — completely and forever.
Loving God with All Your Mind
Our thoughts matter. What we think about shapes who we are.
Loving God with our mind means filling it with His truth, His Word, and His wisdom. It means studying Scripture, reflecting on His promises, and rejecting the lies that try to pull us away from Him.
When we love God with our mind, we seek to understand His ways. We let His Word guide our decisions and shape how we see the world. In a world filled with confusion and competing voices, this kind of love brings clarity and peace.
Loving God with All Your Strength
Finally, loving God with our strength is about action.
It’s about using our energy, abilities, and resources to serve Him and others. This love isn’t just felt or thought about — it’s lived out.
Whether we’re helping a neighbor, caring for family, volunteering at church, or standing up for justice, our strength is a gift we give back to God. It’s how love becomes visible and tangible in the world.
The Second Commandment: Loving Others
Jesus didn’t stop at loving God. He added, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
True love for God always flows outward into love for others.
This is often where the real challenge comes. Loving people can be messy, difficult, and sometimes even painful. But when we love God fully, His love gives us the strength to love others — even when it’s hard, even when they don’t love us back.
A Lifelong Journey
As I look back on that December Sunday in 1964, I realize how much I’ve grown — and how much I still have to learn. Loving God with my heart, soul, mind, and strength isn’t something I mastered at fourteen, or even now. It’s a lifelong journey.
Every day, we have new opportunities to love Him more deeply and to love others more fully. And when we do, we find the very purpose of our existence — to be vessels of His love in a world that desperately needs it.
So today, take a moment to ask yourself:
- Am I loving God with my whole heart?
- Is my soul surrendered to Him?
- Are my thoughts filled with His truth?
- Am I using my strength to serve others?
These are the questions that can shape not only our faith, but also our legacy. Just as that verse shaped my first sermon, may it shape your life — now and always.
The Curious Pilgrims 