The Art of Neighbouringنموونە

 God's Heart for People

If you were quizzed on what you believe is the main essence of the Bible, what would you say? If you had only a moment to share a one-liner on what it means to be a Christian, to follow and become like Jesus, how would you sum up the Kingdom of God? 

Many of us are taught the Lord’s prayer as young children, in which we pray “your Kingdom come, your will be done . . .” but when you stop to think about it, what is God’s Kingdom really about? 

In Matthew 22 we see the Pharisees quiz Jesus; they want to know what the greatest commandment of the law is. Jesus replies “‘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.”

Here, Jesus sums up the Kingdom of God for us, plainly stating that we are to love God and love people. Everything else we do should flow out of these two commandments. It’s vital to pray, fast, and practice spiritual disciplines as well as listen to godly teachings and grow in our knowledge of scriptures. However, if we had to put a spotlight on what Jesus, and therefore the Father, holds to be most important, loving God and loving people would and should be at the core of everything. 

Take a moment to think about the phrase “loving God and loving people.” How well do you feel you are representing the Kingdom of God in your own life?