Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ - Matthew 22:37-39

Dear Jesus,

When this man pressed you to tell him the greatest commandment you very clearly said it was to love your heavenly father with all your heart and then you added that loving people was just as important.  It's not the clarity of the commandments that haunts me.  I love how clear and simple they make my task for each day.  It's just that I know I cannot keep either commandment perfectly.  If that's all I had from you I would be depressed.  But since I know you kept both of them for me, I am all the more encouraged to try, because when I try by faith to love God and my neighbor, you are pleased with me just as my parents were pleased with my little sister's Easy Bake Oven corn bread.  No matter how badly they tasted, my parents fawned over them because they were made out of love.  You see my love, albeit imperfect and you fawn over me too.  Thank you Jesus for making life bearable under grace. 

Amen

Pastor Don Patterson 

Grace frees up to honestly try to keep God's will out of faith and not fear.