based on the sermon prepared and preached by Jeff Jantzi, February 2, 2025
What does it mean to love God with all your strength? When Jesus gave the Great Commandment in Mark 12:30, He quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5, calling us to love God with everything we have—our heart, soul, mind, and strength. But strength, in this context, means more than just physical power.
The Hebrew word used for “strength” in Deuteronomy is me’od, which doesn’t just refer to muscles or might. It means muchness—an extreme, all-encompassing devotion that includes every resource, every effort, and every ability we have. Loving God with all our strength means using all that we’ve been given—our time, talents, energy, and possessions—to glorify Him.
Understanding Strength as a Gift from God
Loving God with all our strength is not about striving in our own power or proving our worth through effort. There is a difference between a works-based approach—where we attempt to earn God’s favor by our deeds—and a grace-filled response that acknowledges all we have is a gift from Him. Our abilities, resources, and even our weaknesses are opportunities to rely on His grace. Rather than trying to impress God with our strength, we are called to steward what He has given us and offer it back in trust and love. This includes surrendering our limitations, insecurities, and failures, believing that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.
How Do We Love God With All Our Strength?
- Give God Your Best Effort – Loving God isn’t passive. It takes intentionality. Just as an athlete trains to build physical strength, we must invest effort into our relationship with God. Paul encourages us in Philippians 2:12-13 to “work hard to show the results of your salvation” while trusting that God is working in us. Loving God with all our strength means choosing to follow Him wholeheartedly, resisting apathy, and being active in our faith.
- Use Your Gifts and Abilities for His Glory – Each of us has been given talents and skills, and using them to serve God and others is an act of worship. Whether through work, creativity, leadership, or acts of service, we can honor God with what He has placed in our hands. Colossians 3:23 reminds us: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”
- Be Generous With Your Resources – Loving God with our strength includes what we do with our material possessions. The Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible even translate me’od as wealth, emphasizing that what we own is meant to be used for God’s purposes. Jesus warned in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve both God and money, urging us to be generous and invest in eternal treasures rather than earthly wealth.
- Persevere in Faith – Strength isn’t just about what we can do when we feel energized; it’s also about endurance. Life is full of challenges, and loving God with all our strength means staying faithful even when it’s difficult. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” Strength in faith is found in reliance on God, trusting in His power rather than our own.
- Love in Action – Strength isn’t just what we believe but what we do. Loving God with all our strength means showing His love through acts of kindness, justice, and service to others. James 2:17 reminds us that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Love for God should be evident in the way we live, serve, and care for those around us.
A Question to Reflect On
Are you using all that you have—your energy, resources, and abilities—to love and serve God? What areas of your life could be more fully surrendered to Him?
Loving God with all our strength means offering our whole selves—our work, our perseverance, our generosity—back to the One who gave us everything. May we live each day with an intentional love that glorifies Him in all that we do.
