Earlier today I came to realize that Easter Sunday is only a few days away. Although this is an exciting holiday, sometimes I feel as if the day comes and goes without truly pondering the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus for my personal sins. As a result, this year, I have determined to focus on how I can love God back this Easter for all that He has done for me. I have decided that this is not only a one-week decision, but hopefully a continual lifestyle that I can reflect on each week. This comes down to loving the Lord with all of my heart, my soul, my mind, and loving my neighbor as myself.
Matthew 22:34-40 says, “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ 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.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
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Preparing our Hearts: Confession/Emotions
Acknowledging that we are sinners in need of forgiveness enables us to appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice more. The concept of heart in the Bible is often referring to the place of emotion, confession, or desire. When we recognize that our hearts are filthy and hardened without Jesus, we can have a greater thankfulness for Him. It is through our hearts that we believe and are propelled to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead.
Some verses about our hearts to ponder:
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Ezekiel 36:26 “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Romans 10:10 “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
Call to Action: Take a moment to think through the ways in which you have fallen short of God’s perfection. Ask for forgiveness from those specific sins. Share your great hurts and thank Jesus for hurting for you on the cross. Redeclare your love for Christ and your gratitude for salvation through Him.
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Preparing our Souls: Who I am, Depth of Me, Personality
Our souls are eternal, they are the depth of who we are, and they are from where we praise the Lord. We can love God with the emotions and confessions of our hearts, but we can also love him through our innermost being. Because of the Holy Spirit, we have the capability of adoring Christ with all of who we are and living out our identities in Him. Our soul seeks God, our soul can be downcast, our soul finds rest, and our soul praises the Lord. Our soul is the essence of our personality, giftings and talents.
There is a new cartoon movie out about the soul. Honestly, it propels me even more to be teaching the next generation the truth of the gospel. We do not have to rely on movies or media to tell us what happens after life on earth, we can be fully confident in the truth of Jesus’ sacrifice on behalf of our souls and security for salvation in heaven. Our souls never die, they are eternally safe in the Lord.
Some verses about our souls to ponder:
Deuteronomy 4:29 “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Psalm 62:1 “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.”
Psalm 42:11 “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
Psalm 103:1 “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.”
Matthew 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Call to Action: Take some time resting in Christ and worshipping Him this week. Whether through prayer, writing, music, etc., what can you use as a catalyst to praise Him?
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Preparing our Minds: Pondering the Word of God
Our minds give us the ability to ask questions and think deeply about the scriptures. Many times, the church as a whole focuses a lot on the heart, but may we not neglect the mind. Feelings will not sustain us in hard times, but the facts of the gospel and Scriptural truth will be an anchor to us.
Our mind is a powerful tool of the Lord, or a destructive game of the enemy. The Bible tells us to renew our minds daily. The sword of the spirit is the Word of God. If we avoid seeking God in His Word each day, we are essentially laying down our offensive weapon we have against the enemy. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Bible, we can have a steadfast mind, perfect peace, and the mindset of Christ. We cannot always prevent the filth of the world from getting into our thoughts, but we can be transformed daily by renewing our minds.
Many times, I have found that by engaging my mind in questions and seeking the scriptures, I end up becoming more passionate and emotion-filled about the Lord. I believe we miss out on a sweet connection with Christ when we push aside thinking deeply. If we ponder His word, we increase our knowledge of who He is and essentially grow in our love for Him because we know Him even more.
Some verses about our minds to ponder:
Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Ephesians 4:22-24 “To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 2:5 “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Call to Action: This week spend some time thinking about how different scriptures point or parallel to Jesus. Consider reading through the crucifixion and resurrection passages.
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Preparing our Neighbors
The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors. Who are we inviting into the family of God? Easter is a wonderful opportunity to extend a welcome to others around us to join in and see who Jesus is and what He has done for them. No matter if we are the one to first tell them about Christ, the one who faithfully models Him, or the one walking the person through a decision of salvation by Jesus; our actions matter. Even if thoughts stand in your way, push through by the power of God and see how He moves hearts and shows up. We ultimately trust Him with the outcome.
Some verses about sharing our faith:
Peter 3:15 “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.”
Matthew 6:15 “He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Matthew 9:37-38 “Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”
Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Call to Action: Who can you invite to church or to an Easter event this weekend?
However you feel led to respond to the saving work of Jesus Christ, may God bless you in it. I am beyond grateful that I have a relationship with God and am able to love Him back this Easter for all that His has done for me. As we celebrate His life, death, and resurrection, may we share in the confidence of being secure in salvation through Jesus and the privilege to be called children of God.
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