“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5
In the first of the Ten Commandments, God says, “You shall have no other gods before me” (5:7). What does that mean? The answer can be found in Deuteronomy 6:5—“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
You might be wondering, If I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and might, what will be the impact on my family? If I extend myself in serving the Lord, will it hurt my children?
These are very real questions for many. You love the Lord and you want to serve him. You want your life to count for him, but you also have a family. You feel a tension between these things. You love your children and you want to be a good parent. So what does it look like to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and might when you are married, or when you have children?
When Moses says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart,” he immediately goes on to describe the impact on the family. Far from destroying the family, if you choose to love the Lord first, your family will be blessed. The best way to serve your family is to live for the Lord. Indeed, any other choice will be destructive to the people you love. Love the Lord first, and your family will be blessed. Love your family first, and your family will suffer.
What kind of tension do you feel between loving the Lord and loving your family? Consider how loving God first is the best way to bless your family.
