Consistency in Christ

Mark 12:28-34 (RSV)
"And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He answered them well, asked Him, 'Which commandment is the first of all?' Jesus answered, 'The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall 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, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.' And the scribe said to Him, 'You are right, Teacher; You have truly said that He is one, and there is no other but He; and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.' And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And after that no one dared to ask Him any question."

Can anyone accuse us of being a one-day-a-week Christian? One who appears to love God and neighbor on church day but not so much during the rest of the week? There are some Christians who seem to believe, at least according to their actions, that going to church, paying tithes and offerings, and being a nice person is enough to have a relationship with Christ. But in general, they do things their own way the rest of the week and serve the Lord only when it is convenient for them.

Loving God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves is a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day activity. It is not just for the day one goes to church or Bible study, or whenever it is convenient. It is a consistent pattern of living. It is something as Christians we are committed to live all the time. This is worth far more than how often we attend church, how much money we give to the church, or how many good deeds we may do for others in the course of any given week.

We belong completely to Christ, and He wants us to love and serve Him with our whole hearts. May we make this our aim every day in our walk with Christ.

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