What Does It Mean to Love God with All Your Heart, Soul, and Mind?
The Greatest Commandment came from Jesus and states, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matt. 22:37), and it means that we are to love God with all that we are—it’s all-encompassing, our whole selves. But this is difficult without knowing or understanding the difference between the heart, the soul, and the mind. Much discussion occurs around this topic, including much speculation. But by looking at Scripture, we can logically come to some conclusions based on what we know.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . .”
The heart, the soul, and the mind are connected. The heart harbors our feelings and emotions—compassion, sympathy, mercy, lovingkindness, and even apathy, frustration, and sadness. These are the outward responses to the people and situations that influence our lives. However, because our emotions are involved, deception can happen more easily if we rely completely on our hearts for how we handle our relationships and life decisions.
In Jeremiah 17 we’re told that the heart is deceitful! Along with Proverbs 16:9, we can conclude that we should never rely on our heart to make decisions, but we must rely on Jesus for perspective. Additionally, in Deuteronomy 4:29 we see that the heart helps us act properly toward the relationships we build, especially our relationship with God. If the heart is the outward response system for what we take in, then how we outwardly respond is part of our all-encompassing relationship with God.
“Love the Lord your God with all your soul . . .”
The soul is the inward response system to everything that influences our life. Psalm 94:19 states, “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” No matter what is happening around us, our lives are changed to make us into the people that God would have us to be. If the soul is the inward response system for what we take in, then how we inwardly respond is part of our all-encompassing relationship with God.
“Love the Lord your God with all your mind . . .”
The mind is the processing system to navigate the other two. It gives perspective when the heart and soul provide information from outside influences, and it uses intellect, creativity, and more to provide appropriate responses. Job 38:36 shows us that our minds are given understanding and wisdom to act, through God. If the mind is the processing system for what we take in, then how we renew our minds for a proper response is part of our all-encompassing relationship with God.
Implications of not loving God with all our minds . . .
In Romans, we are told that the only way we can be transformed within is through the renewal of our minds. We do this by seeking God to know who he is and what’s important to him. If this is neglected, we’re open to influence from outside sources without proper inward or outward responses. Culture can then dictate what happens in our whole selves.
But Jesus gave us examples from his own life . . .
First, Jesus told his disciples to follow his example. “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:10). Jesus taught us what we need to carry on a relationship with God. If Jesus, who is fully God, still prayed, worshiped, read Scripture, and submitted himself, then how much more ought we to do these things by renewing our minds through seeking him?
Recommended Resources:
- Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
- Love Your God with All your Mind by J. P. Moreland
- The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer
First published with Women In Apologetics
