What is the significance of the command to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?

what does the bible say?

Loving the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength is a command we are given in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. It is also a lifetime effort. It requires us to first receive God's love and then to grow in our knowledge of Him. As we do, we will become more like Him. Our entire lives will begin to be lived in response to who God is and what He does. They will begin to be characterized by love—for Him in living out His truth and being conformed to His character, and for others in pouring out His love on them.

from the old testament

The first verse that commands people to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is Deuteronomy 6:5. Known as the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4–5 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

from the new testament

The Shema was cited by Jesus as the "great commandment in the Law" in Matthew 22:36–37. In this passage, the word "mind" is substituted for the word "might" or "strength."Mark 12:30 records Jesus as saying, "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." Here the word "strength" is used, as in Deuteronomy. Both words indicate an effort involving all one's ability or force. Taken together, the verses indicate a monumental effort to love God.The command to love refers to agape love. It is an act of the will by which we prioritize the object of love. This is the type of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. Ultimately, it is the type of love demonstrated to us by Jesus (John 13:34–35).Our love for God is a result of His love for us (1 John 4:9–10).When we put our faith in Jesus as Savior—believing He is fully God and fully human (John 1:1–4; Colossians 1:15), lived a life that demonstrated and satisfied all of God's righteousness (1 Peter 2:22; Colossians 1:19–20), took our sin upon Himself and died on the cross to pay the penalty (Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21), and rose back to life demonstrating the sufficiency of His payment, the truth of His claims, and His victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15)—we become children of God (John 1:12). We are adopted into His family (Romans 8:9–17) and given the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3–14). It is the Holy Spirit who helps us know, love, and obey God (Philippians 2:12–13).

implications for today

The command to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is significant. As imperfect human beings, we cannot fully love God the way we should, but by the power of His Spirit, we can live to love Him– to prioritize Him, to obey Him, and to center our lives around Him. The more we know God, the more we will love Him. We get to know Him through things like studying the Bible to see what He tells us about Himself, spending time with Him in prayer, and spending time with other believers. As we grow in knowledge of God and experience in our relationship with Him, our love deepens. We can also pray for our love of God to grow. Philippians 1:9–11 and Ephesians 3:14–21 are good examples.

We demonstrate our love for God not only in our personal devotion to Him, but in our obedience to His commands. Jesus said, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:9–11). When we know and trust God, we come to understand that His commands are best. We desire to please Him by living His ways. Because God is who He is, living according to His design is actually for our best. John summarized God's commands this way, "And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another" (1 John 3:23). Other places also sum up God’s commands as loving God and loving others (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:37–40; Mark 12:30–31; Luke 10:27). As we live out the ways God has called us to live, we demonstrate our love for Him.