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God’s Anthem - HomeWord - July 31, 2012

 God’s Anthem

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

"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." 
—Matthew 22:36-40

Over 10,000 athletes from around the world are competing in the London Olympics. Many of these athletes train as a full-time job, working each day to get their bodies in peak athletic shape. All of them dream that at the end of their days of competition, it will be them standing on the highest podium, wearing a gold medal around their necks.

At the medal ceremonies, the top athletes will stand in awe and reverence while their national anthem plays. The dream they have worked and sacrificed for will come true. Many will have tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces as the emotions of seeing their flags raised and hearing their national anthems –songs of praise - overwhelm them.

As Christians, we are called to live the life of an athlete. Each day, we are to be training and pursuing God and pursuing our faith. In the book of Hebrews, we are told to “run with perseverance.” We are never to give up striving for the crown that awaits us in heaven. Countries choose their national anthems to best represent the essence of the people and the country. Here in the U.S.A., we sing about the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our anthem is a source of national pride.

So at the end of the day when we finish the race God has set before us, it makes me wonder, what theme would God’s Anthem contain? What does God call us to represent? I think God’s Anthem would be based on the greatest commandments: Love. There are over 600 laws in the Bible. But Jesus says that the greatest commandments, the ones all the laws come back to, are summed up in loving God and loving others.

As Christians, this is our greatest calling in life. God shows us perfect love in sending His Son to die for us. Loving God and others is what He calls us to stand for. Everything comes back to those two commandments. Christians best represent God when their lives reflect these commandments. So, when others look at us, may they sense God’s Anthem being played in and through our lives.

GOING DEEPER:

1. How does your life represent and reflect God’s greatest commandments?

2. What can you do today to demonstrate God’s love to someone else?

FURTHER READING:

 Hebrews 12:1-5 ;  1 John 3

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