1,541 words, 8 minutes read time.
Introduction
When I think about strength, my first thought is usually about endurance, grit, or toughness—the kind of muscle you need to grind through long days at work, shoulder responsibility for your family, or keep your head up when life throws punches. Every man knows the pressure to appear strong, even when he feels stretched thin. But Jesus defines strength in a way that cuts against the grain. Real strength, He says, isn’t measured by what I can carry, fight, or control. It’s measured by how I love.
That’s jarring, because love often feels like weakness in a culture that celebrates dominance, independence, and pride. Yet Jesus is blunt. When asked what mattered most, He didn’t offer a list of rules or a strategy for success. He gave two commands that hang everything else in place: love God with all that you are, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37–40). Those aren’t sentimental words; they’re a call to radical devotion that shapes every corner of life.
For men especially, this command is a challenge to the core. It doesn’t just push me to flex my willpower; it demands surrender. It doesn’t just ask me to tolerate others; it requires sacrificial, steady love that costs me something. That’s not soft. That’s strength in its purest, hardest form.
Scripture
“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 22:37–40 (NIV)
Reflection / Teaching
Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
Jesus begins with love for God. That command echoes the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” For generations, Jewish men recited those words morning and night. It wasn’t just a verse to memorize—it was a declaration of loyalty, a daily oath of allegiance.
What strikes me is the totality of the command. God doesn’t want a slice of my devotion; He demands the whole thing. Heart, soul, mind—everything inside me belongs to Him. My private thoughts, my affections, my ambitions, my fears—all of it is meant to be aligned under His Lordship. Loving God this way doesn’t mean I’ll never stumble, but it does mean I can’t play games with divided loyalties. If I give Him Sunday mornings but keep my career, my relationships, or my pleasures sealed off, I’m not loving Him with all.
As a man, this cuts deep. I’m wired to compartmentalize—work in one box, faith in another, family in another. But Jesus doesn’t leave room for that. Loving God with all means I can’t reserve a hidden compartment where I call the shots. It means I face my pride head-on and let God tear it down. It means I surrender the illusion of control. That’s not easy, but it’s where strength begins.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Then Jesus ties love for God to love for others. The second command doesn’t replace the first—it proves it. My love for God is revealed in how I treat the people around me.
The Good Samaritan story in Luke 10 drives this point home. A religious leader wanted to limit his responsibility: “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered with a story about a beaten man on the roadside, ignored by two religious men and rescued by someone society despised. The Samaritan didn’t ask if the man deserved help. He saw the need, got his hands dirty, and paid the price to see him healed. That’s the definition of neighbor-love: inconvenient, costly, and real.
For me, this story exposes my excuses. I’m quick to justify walking past a need—too busy, too broke, too tired, not my problem. But Jesus doesn’t let me off the hook. If I claim to love God but refuse to love the neighbor He puts in my path, my love is hollow.
And this isn’t just about strangers on the roadside. Neighbor-love begins at home—with the way I speak to my wife, the patience I show my kids, the respect I give my coworkers. It extends to the men I compete with, the people I disagree with, even the ones who push my buttons. Love isn’t about liking everyone or pretending differences don’t exist. It’s about choosing to act for their good, even when it costs me. That’s strength—not to dominate, but to serve.
The Link Between Loving God and Loving Others
Jesus ties the two commands together for a reason. Loving God without loving others becomes empty religion. Loving others without loving God turns into people-pleasing. Only when God is first in my heart does my love for others become steady and true.
Here’s what I’ve noticed: when I love God above all else, I stop treating people as tools or obstacles. My worth isn’t hanging on their approval, so I’m free to love them without strings attached. I can forgive more easily because I know how much I’ve been forgiven. I can serve without recognition because my reward comes from God, not men.
That’s the secret Jesus points to. Loving God most enables me to love others best. Without Him, I run out of patience, run out of grace, run out of fuel. But when my heart is anchored in Him, love overflows.
Practical Application
This is not a self-help checklist. It’s about living under Jesus’ command with a surrendered heart. Still, the Spirit works through practical obedience. Here’s what it’s looked like in my own life:
When I wake up, I fight the urge to scroll my phone and instead start with Scripture and prayer. That’s not about discipline for discipline’s sake; it’s about giving God the first affection of my day.
When I’m tempted to keep quiet at work or at home to avoid conflict, I ask what love requires. Sometimes it means speaking truth even if it costs me approval.
When I see a need—a struggling neighbor, a friend weighed down, a stranger who needs help—I stop rationalizing and start acting. Love means inconvenience.
And when I fail (which I do often), I come back to the cross. Jesus loved me when I was unlovable. That’s what keeps me moving forward, not my own performance.
Prayer
Father, I want to love You with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind. Tear down the walls of pride and selfishness that keep me divided. Teach me to love You fully and to let that love overflow in the way I treat others. Give me the strength to serve when it’s hard, the courage to forgive when it costs me, and the humility to keep pointing back to You. Make my life a reflection of Your Son, who loved perfectly. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Closing Thoughts & Call to Action
Brother, this isn’t about being nice. It’s about being strong in the way Jesus defines strength. Loving God with all that you are and loving others as yourself is the kind of life that demands courage, sacrifice, and endurance. It’s not glamorous, but it’s powerful. And it’s the kind of strength that leaves a legacy.
So here’s my challenge: take this command seriously. Look at your life and ask—am I giving God all, or just part? Am I walking past the people He’s called me to love? And then do something about it.
I’d love to hear your reflections. Subscribe to the newsletter at https://wordpress.com/reader/site/subscription/61236952 to keep receiving devotionals like this, share your thoughts in the comments below, or reach out to me through my contact form at https://bdking71.wordpress.com/contact/. Tell me how you’re putting this into practice—I’d be honored to walk this journey with you.
Sources
Matthew 22:37–40 — BibleGateway (The Great Commandment)
Mark 12:28–34 — BibleGateway (The Greatest Commandment)
Luke 10:25–37 — BibleGateway (The Good Samaritan)
Leviticus 19:18 — BibleGateway (“Love your neighbor as yourself”)
BibleProject — Guide: Love in the Bible
BibleProject — Video: Agape / Biblical Love
The Gospel Coalition — “Don’t Ask Who Your Neighbor Is. Ask Who You Are.”
The Gospel Coalition — “To Love Your Neighbor, You Must Know Your Neighbor”
The Gospel Coalition — “A Surprising Way to Love Your Neighbor”
Desiring God (John Piper) — “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself” (message)
Desiring God — “If We Love God Most, We Will Love Others Best”
GotQuestions — “What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?”
Ligonier Ministries — “Love for God and Neighbor”
Enduring Word — Matthew 22 commentary (exposition)
Blue Letter Bible — Matthew 22 study guide (David Guzik)
BibleHub — Matthew 22:34 commentary collection
Gospel in Life (Timothy Keller) — Sermon: “Loving One Another”
Our Daily Bread — Devotional: Loving Our Neighbors
Christianity Today — “Want to Love Your Neighbor? Start By Fighting Your Own…”
Crosswalk — “How Should We Prioritize Loving God, Loving Others, and Loving Ourselves?”
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.