Give God Your Whole Heart

June 19, 2021
Saturday for Week Eleven for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today

Saint Romuald, Abbot—Memorial Wey No Be Obligation

Listen for English

Jesus tell Im disciples: “Nobody fit serve two masters. E go either hate one and love the other, or hold on to one and despise the other. Una no fit serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24

Mammon na another word for money. Jesus make am clear say you must choose to serve either God or money, but no be both. Heart wey divide no reach. Saint John of the Cross, for im well-known spiritual book “Ascent to Mount Carmel,” explain something wey resemble this one. E talk say all the things wey we dey desire must become completely pure, reach the point wey na only God and Im holy will we go dey desire. Every other desire for life must comot, so that we go give only God our whole heart. This one mean say na God and God alone we suppose direct all our love to? Yes, na so. But we must understand this truth well.

When we think about how God don call us to love, na true say no be only God we must love; we must love plenty other things for life too. We must love our family, friends, neighbours, and even our enemies. We hope say we love other parts of our life too, like the vocation wey God call us to, our work, our home, something wey we like to do for free time, and so on. So how we go give God our whole heart when plenty other things still dey wey we must love?

The answer no hard. Love for God be like this: when we make God the only One wey we direct all our love and devotion to, the love wey we get for God go overflow through power wey pass nature. Na so love for God be. As we dey love God, we go see say God dey call us to love Am through the way we love other people, and even different parts of our life. As we dey love wetin God want make we love, and as we dey show love for everything wey dey inside God will, we still dey love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

But make we go back to the Scripture passage above. Why we no fit love God and money? We must understand “mammon” for this passage as love wey don turn to attachment and desire wey no good for us. We fit “love” money in such a way wey we go allow our desire for am to lose proper order, and so push God will comot from that “love.” Money no be evil when we use am only as God want. For that kind case, the money wey we use go give God great glory. But when money, or any other thing wey we desire, begin dey act as if e get life of im own, so to talk, that desire go begin oppose our love for God. To love God and God alone mean say we love God and everything wey E want make we love for life.

Today, think well about why e dey necessary to give God your whole heart. As you dey commit yourself to this love wey na God alone e face, think too about who and wetin God dey call you to love inside Am and through Am. Where Im perfect will dey lead you, and how E dey call you to show your love for God through the way you love other people? Think too about any way wey you don allow attachment to money or any other thing for life wey no good for you to distract you from the one purpose wey your life dey ultimately for. Allow God to clear those desires wey no good and those false “loves” comot from your heart, so that you go dey free to love the way E create you to love.

My Lord and God, You deserve all my love. Na You and You alone must be the only One wey all my love dey face. As I dey love You, my dear Lord, help me discover everything wey Your will dey direct me to love more, and everything wey Your will dey call me to let go of. Make I choose only You and wetin dey inside Your holy and perfect will. Jesus, na You I trust.