Directing our attention toward God

Pencils are sharpened and at the ready. The Friday night lights are waiting for their moment to shine. Buses are humming down the streets with their wheels going 'round and 'round -- sorry, couldn't resist.

There is something about a new school year that compels even those who have not walked into a school building for decades to feel a sense of change. Change, though, can be as frightening as the first year of kindergarten, no matter your age. How can we face the challenges of whatever the new is?

Jesus in Mark 12:30 challenges his followers to focus their direction. He says, "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."

The direction of our attention is clear; Godward. Who we are, all that we have done, and all that we dream of becoming is to be directed toward loving God. That singular sense of purpose then drives everything we do. We are no longer sweeping the streets out of obligation to the one who signs the paycheck, but to God, who calls us to glorify Him with all that we are. Picking up the toys in the living room for the third, fourth or 20th time that day is more than keeping a space tidy. It is demonstrating a love for God by serving your family. Jesus challenges those who will follow him to see glory in the ordinary.

In this verse Jesus also teaches that we are multifaceted beings.

We have a soul, a heart, a way of thinking and even physical strength. One cannot be separated from the other and still come to the conclusion that they are fully human.

A man or a woman who is tragically paralyzed, lost a limb or has some other physical challenge is still fully human. Jesus in this passage peals back the onion a little bit further to see all the dimensions of being human.

Our hearts, souls, minds and strength can act independently. They are also intimately intertwined. The passion of my heart is moved out of the depths of the soul. The mind with its logic and reason is accompanied by various feats of strength. Independence creates dependence.

God has given you a great purpose. That purpose is found in giving everything that you are to Him.