The Fundamentals: Love God and Love Others

When I was in high school, my basketball coaches were so focused on the fundamentals of the game that we spent the majority of every practice working on ball handling, dribbling, passing, and on special occasion, shooting. Although my teammates and I thought we had those skills mastered, practicing them on a regular basis greatly enhanced our understanding of the game.

In the same way, it is easy to neglect the fundamentals of following Jesus. But in Galatians 5:14, “Coach” Apostle Paul brings us back to the fundamentals of discipleship. He tells us that the entire law is fulfilled in loving our neighbor as ourselves. By upholding this command, it would be difficult to sin against God.

Every day, our mission should be to more fully experience Christ’s love so we are able to love others in the same way. Before I met Christ, I knew of Him. Then when I surrendered my life to the Lord, I began to really know Him. But it wasn’t until years later that I could honestly say that I loved Him. Now, I don’t want to do anything to hurt Him, and my heart breaks for what breaks His heart. Christ’s love for me has allowed me to see others with new eyes.