Love and the Commandments    

   Most of us know the two commandments Jesus called "the greatest." 

   1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 2. Love your neighbor as yourself. 

   In his book, Rare, Medium and Done Well, former governor and pastor Mike Huckabee connects love with the ten laws in Exodus 20:1-17. Here are the first five commandments (NIV) and Mike's comments, slightly edited:

   You shall have no other gods before me. 

   God can create a relationship with us strong enough to dismiss the need for further searching. 

   You shall not make for yourself an idol...

   Creator God cannot be limited or confined to a tangible object or physical trinket. We need to be glad he can't. 

   You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.

   This principle affirms that God's name should not be used carelessly. We must not treat God's love with contempt.  

   Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

   True love sets apart special time for those who are loved. The principle behind a day of rest is to remember God, not to forget him. 

   Honor your father and your mother. 

   Real love respects authority. We learn to honor authority first in the home. If not, we likely will never learn it at all. 

Tomorrow: Commandments 6-10