Jesus tells us the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our being (Matthew 22:38). Joshua 23:11 tells us this is neither natural nor easy:

Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. (ESV)
So be very diligent to love the LORD your God for your own well-being. (HCSB)

Though God has given to all mankind “life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25), though, having given His Son on the cross, He surely will give His people all things (Romans 8:32), and though nothing will separate His people from His love (Romans 8:35-39), our love for Him comes and goes. In difficult times we are tempted to blame Him for our problems; in good times, we are tempted to ignore Him, to think and act as if we don’t need Him – like a teen who ignores the loving parents who feed him, clothe him, educate him, and pour out their lives for him.

Even when we know the Gospel and in our minds agree that we ought to love God, we often effectively slip into a pagan religion. While we would never be this blunt, our attitudes and actions can communicate: “I’ll attend church and small group, give money, read the Bible, help the poor, and speak the Gospel to others – then, God, how will you hold up Your side of the bargain?”

So Joshua speaks to us: “Be very diligent to love the Lord your God! Be very careful about this!” That is: “Don’t fall into such temptations! And don’t expect loving God to be easy – love is never easy! Work hard at it! Keep working at it day by day, week by week, year by year.”

One aspect of such diligence is to examine your heart – particularly when engaged in an activity you consider religious. Are you expressing and deepening joy in God, in Jesus? Or are you simply going through the motions?

But as important as the examination is your response when you fail! When you see yourself engaging in such perfunctory obedience, don’t fall for the lie, “If I can’t do this with the right attitude, I should just stop!” Instead, confess that lack of love to God (and possibly to other believers around you), ask God to incline your heart to Him – and continue in the task. Often, our Lord will give you a right heart as you persevere in that task.

For example, in the mid-1990s, our church in Massachusetts held two or three services every Sunday afternoon in the nursing homes in our town. If I had preached Sunday morning, everything in me wanted to go home, relax, and play with my kids. My heart was not right. I was not loving the Lord or acting out of that love. But when I went to the nursing home (often bringing children with me), prayed for a right heart, and opened up the Word, virtually every time God gave me love for Him and joy in Him along the way.

So be diligent to love the Lord your God! Fight the good fight to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.