Main Passage:
“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.’”
— Matthew 22:37–38 (NIV)
“I think you are very attractive. If I were to ask you on a date, would you let me take you out?”
My eyes widened and my mouth gaped open.
Both taken aback and with flushed cheeks, I felt my heart literally skip a beat when I saw those words on my phone screen.
And I knew right then and there that if I wasn’t careful, I was in danger of falling for this guy, if I wasn’t already.
He was incredibly smart (really brilliant, I thought), funny, and attractive, too. Plus, he could carry on a conversation with me about anything and everything under the sun — books, movies, jokes, history, you name it. Not to mention, he had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. He was “almost perfect,” as some people would say. And we were becoming fast close friends.
But there was a catch — he was an atheist.
In 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV), Paul was very clear when he pointed out that light cannot have anything to do with darkness. That picture gives a visual explanation that shows how believers and unbelievers should and can not be yoked together. And it makes sense, after all.
People who follow Jesus function according to a different set of beliefs and core values compared to those who do not believe in Him. They devote themselves to loving God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37) — above any endeavor in life. While those who do not follow Jesus, sadly, more or less turn to live their lives according to their own wisdom and passions outside God’s will. There is no middle ground. And joining two people from these two camps, more often than not, inevitably leads to heartache for both parties in the long run.
Thus, therein lies the rub in the situation I found myself in.
Should I date this atheist with the hopes of turning him to the gospel and disobey Biblical counsel?
Or should I, against what my foolish heart thought it wanted at that moment, love my God with all my heart, soul, and mind, and obey what His Word says?
Jesus’ command in Matthew 22:37–38 (NIV) is easier said than done, for sure. But that moment I found myself asking those two questions was a huge “where rubber meets the road” point in my walk with God. It was a moment where I could actually put my love for God into action. (After all, obedience is love in action.) Two paths diverged from it: Would I obey or disobey God? And both choices lead to different outcomes and consequences.
As the age-old cliché saying goes: “One moment, one choice, can change a lifetime.”
So I thought about it. Well, actually —
In all honesty, I immediately already knew what the right thing to do was.
I loved God, and obeying Him was the right, albeit hard, thing to do.
Plus, I loved my parents, and I respected them too much to go against their counsel about not being yoked with unbelievers and break their hearts in making a decision that might lead to temporary happiness.
So I stared at the question on my phone once more.
A minute passed.
And finally, after taking a breath, I responded to my atheist friend.
I took the path of obedience. And I haven’t regretted it since — not even once.
Reflection:
- When was the last time you were faced with the choice of obeying Biblical counsel or going your own way? How did you respond?
- Do you truly love God with all your heart, mind, and strength? What is the evidence in your life that shows that you do?
- If you are struggling to love God with all your heart, mind, and strength, what steps are you going to take to improve in this area of your life?
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Writer : Kira Gochuico