When was the last time you said (or thought) the words, “You know better?” Maybe you said the words to your child when they disobeyed a rule you had clearly put into place. Perhaps you thought the words when you saw someone making a poor decision, leading them to do what they had previously said they would never do. Maybe you said those words to yourself when you made a mistake that you promised yourself you would never make. These words, “You know better,” are a reminder that there is a difference between knowing the right thing and doing the right thing, which is exactly what God teaches in His word. If we want to love God with all of our minds, we have to move beyond just knowing the right thing to do to actually doing it.
John, one of Jesus’ disciples, taught in the book of 1st John that our call is not just to know God’s word, but also to obey it. He wrote in 1st John 2, “We can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandment” (verse 3). Obedience is a marker of our being followers of Christ. After all, if we claim to follow Him, it stands to reason that we will do what His word says. John expounded on this teaching two verses later, explaining that by obeying, we demonstrate our love for God. He wrote, “Those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love Him” (verse 5). According to this verse, we love God with our minds by taking what we know from God’s word and putting into action what He says to us in Scripture. Our actions demonstrate that we not only know what He calls us to do, but that we also trust Him enough to do everything He calls us to do.
My friend, too many people read God’s word simply to check a box that they have done what they needed to do. If we want to love God with our minds, we must approach Scripture with joy and eagerness, paying attention to what He has to say to us in His word and being committed to acting on what He tells us to do throughout Scripture. After all, He is all-knowing, and His commands are given to us for a reason. Will you love God with all your mind, committed to putting your knowledge of God’s word into action?
Is there something in your life that is not in alignment with God’s word? Maybe it involves something you are doing that does not honor Him. Maybe it involves something you are not doing that you know God has called you to do. Maybe it involves an attitude you need to repent of. Whatever it looks like for you, confess that to God now, and commit to taking the step of obedience that God has called you to take. Ask Him to help you as you seek to love God with your mind.
1My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.
12 I am writing to you who are God’s children
because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.
13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith
because you have won your battle with the evil one.
14 I have written to you who are God’s children
because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
because you are strong.
God’s word lives in your hearts,
and you have won your battle with the evil one.
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.
26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.
29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
