Southland Christian Church

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In Case of Emergency – Stay The Course - Monday


Today’s Verse

Matthew 22:40

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. (ESV)


For a woman who is getting up there in age, I get to enjoy a lot of time with young adults. My job allows me to spend most of my work days with people in their early 20s, our kids are all in their 20s, and my husband and I have a Southland Young Adults group that meets at our home weekly… Sometimes I have to remind myself how old I am!

Most young adults are in a season of rapid change and decision-making. Many are transitioning from college to the workplace, possibly navigating dating and marriage, often moving to a new city, or learning how to be an adult in general. I may be a lot older than them, but I remember how overwhelming it can be. It is not uncommon for someone in this stage of life to struggle to understand what God’s will is for them or to have a hard time making decisions when they have so many options in front of them. It certainly can seem like the stakes are high—and sometimes they are—but discerning God’s will is much simpler than we think. 

In Matthew 22, the Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus by asking Him what the greatest commandment in the Law was. His response showed that God’s will and His mission for us is simple, not complicated. 

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Now, simple doesn’t always mean easy (more about that later this week). Unlike the Pharisees, God isn’t trying to trick us by making His will hard to decipher. Often there isn’t one “right” answer when making decisions like where to live, what job to take, or even who to date or marry. If you are obeying God by loving Him and loving your neighbor as yourself, that is God’s will for you. The reality is, you can honor God just about anywhere and in just about any circumstance. 


REFLECTION

What areas in your life do you need to simplify by loving God and loving people first? Meditate on Matthew 22:37-40 this week and ask God to give you opportunities to live out this mission.