What Difference Does the Word “All” Make?

The gals in my weekly Bible study recently enjoyed a discussion about the word all in the context of Mark 12:30:

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”

What an eye-opener to realize how often I love God half-heartedly

One example would be in Scripture memorization. As part of this study, we’re required to memorize one verse per week. Sometimes I memorize it on the morning of our session not for love of the Word but so I can recite it when my turn comes to do so.

Loving Him with all my mind would look much different—I’d be memorizing and reviewing on a regular basis to align my thoughts with His and to experience personal transformation regardless of whether or not I have to recite for someone.

What about loving God with our strength?

Again, in the context of our group, we’re required to track our food daily. This discipline helps us gain control over our desires, make healthy choices, and eat appropriate portion sizes. We’re also encouraged to exercise our bodies as we’re able.

Loving God half-heartedly would likely see us cheat when we track our food: “No one will know if I sneak this brownie. It won’t really make that much difference.”

It would likely see us look for any excuse to not exercise, or to engage in physical activity that requires no exertion or sweat. But loving Him with all our strength would mean we do what’s best for our bodies because they’re His temple.

The word all is small and easy to skim over in this verse, but it can change our entire perspective when we focus on what it means.