A Fresh Take on How to Love God With All Your Heart
Morning opens her mouth with a foggy breath, and the earth cups the grey mist in its lowest places. I sit by the window and get lost in the glory of it all. I begin most days in this spot, and as I lean into the mist this morning, my mind is full. Maybe you can relate. You want to learn how to love God with all your heart, but you tend to forget all about him as your mental clutter pulls you away.
As I sit in the silence, I’m thinking about writing projects, the weekly dinner menu, the grocery list, my son’s spelling test, and when I’m going to find time to help my daughter write the paper she’s been asking about.
My plate feels full today.
You have your own version of a full plate.
Take a moment to consider your “plate.” Your plate is filled with everything you do throughout the average week: family commitments, your job, meeting with friends, volunteer work, church commitments, and more.
Jesus is probably somewhere on your plate as well. He might be squeezed onto the corner where you keep church, your weekly Bible study group, and maybe even this blog.
Let me begin by saying that I’m so glad Jesus is on your plate. This is a great start. But it’s not the final destination.
How to Love God With All Your Heart
You might expect me to challenge you to view Jesus as the main course on the plate of your life. Instead, I have a radical suggestion: Don’t view Jesus as the main course on the plate of your life; instead, ask him to undergird every part of your life, and remind yourself Jesus is the plate holding your world together.
Jesus wants to be your foundation.
He wants to be the uniting force upholding everything you undertake.
Jesus wants to be your foundation. He wants to be the uniting force upholding everything you undertake. #Jesus #EncounteringGod Share on XWhat the Bible Says About How to Love God With All Your Heart
Scripture tells us that the most important command is to love God with all our strength.
Luke 10:27 reads: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (NIV).
Have you ever wondered how to give God every ounce of your love while also loving your friends, family, and the many people in your life?
The image of a full plate can help us understand what it looks like to love God with our whole hearts while also loving the people he places in front of us. When a loving relationship with God is the foundation for our lives, we become His vessels. The love we pour onto others is no longer our own human love; instead, it is the overflow of the love God first offered us.
Here’s the most beautiful aspect of this imagery: The more you love God, the greater your capacity for loving others will become. God wants to be the source of the love you carry to others. Make him the foundation of your life, and he will equip you to be his vessel of love to the world around you.
The Plate of Your Life
Take a few minutes and envision a plate representing your life.
What activities and commitments fill your plate?
How does your perspective change when you imagine Jesus as the foundation for everything you do—the plate holding your world together?
How to Love God With All Your Heart by Changing the Way You See the Plate:
Before you begin your day today, silence yourself in the Lord’s presence. Spend a moment letting your mind settle and quiet. Thank him for being with you, and rest in the awareness that he loves this time with you.
After a few minutes of resting with the Lord, imagine walking through the predictable events of your day. Imagine what it will look like to stay plugged into God’s love as he pours his love through you onto others.
Consider the way you will interact with the most difficult people in your life as you stand on the foundation of God’s love. Envision the warmth of his love flowing through you onto these people. Now, ask him to fill you to overflowing as you step into your day and live out this vision. Remember, he goes with you always.
Be sure to scroll to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Calling All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Learn How to Love God With All Your Heart and Love Others:
Lastly, I have a gift for you. This post contains excerpts from my latest 31-day online devotional book Mornings With Jesus. Mornings With Jesus will help you establish a daily routine of spending time with God for just a few minutes. You’ll find 31 devotions containing commentaries similar to today’s post and several questions to help you reflect. Each devotional also includes an “Invitation to Encounter God and Begin Well.” These exercises will help you encounter the Living God and find replenishment in him. I pray this free devotional book blesses you richly. Get yours for free right here with promo code JESUS. 
