To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is

"To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is all-consuming and all-encompassing. It is no lukewarm endeavor." These words from Ezra Taft Benson, a prophet and leader, draw their power from the ancient commandment given in scripture: to love the Lord your God with the totality of your being. He reminds us that such love cannot be casual, nor half-hearted. It is not a flame flickering in the wind, but a fire that consumes, a devotion that shapes every thought, every choice, every breath.

The ancients understood that divided loyalty is no loyalty at all. In the days of Israel, the prophets rebuked the people for being “lukewarm,” for seeking to serve both God and idols. The heart that gives itself in part is already lost in whole. Benson’s words carry the same warning: a love for God that is measured, hesitant, or convenient is not true love. To give Him all—heart, soul, mind, and strength—is to live a life entirely aligned with His will, without compromise or reserve.

History is filled with examples of those who lived this teaching. Consider the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who resisted the Nazi regime. He might have chosen safety, remaining silent, but his love for God consumed his soul, compelling him to speak truth against tyranny. His devotion cost him his life, but in his sacrifice he embodied Benson’s teaching: that to love God with all one’s being is not a lukewarm choice, but one that demands—and deserves—everything.

This consuming love is not only for prophets and martyrs. It is the call for every man and woman who seeks God. To love Him with the mind means to think upon His truth and align our thoughts with His wisdom. To love Him with the soul means to trust Him with our very being, even when storms rage. To love Him with the heart is to place Him above every desire, every treasure. And to love Him with strength is to labor daily in His service, to persevere in righteousness even when weary.

Benson’s words also remind us of the danger of mediocrity in devotion. To be lukewarm is to live in a haze of apathy, content with gestures instead of transformation. But such love cannot endure trials, nor inspire faith. Only love that is all-consuming can withstand the fires of adversity. Only love that is all-encompassing can bring peace to the restless heart.

The lesson is clear: faith that costs nothing is worth nothing. To truly love God is to give Him your best, your whole, your very life. This does not mean abandoning worldly duties, but sanctifying them—loving your family, working with honesty, serving others, and keeping your thoughts pure, all for His sake. True devotion is not a Sunday ritual; it is the posture of the soul every day and every hour.

Practically, this means examining your life to see where your love is divided. Do you give God your mornings but not your evenings, your prayers but not your actions, your words but not your heart? If so, begin again. Offer Him your plans, your fears, your labor. Train your mind in His word, discipline your strength in His service, anchor your soul in His mercy, and purify your heart in His love. For to love Him fully is not to diminish life, but to fill it with meaning and power.

So let Benson’s words be remembered: “It is no lukewarm endeavor.” Teach them to your children, who will be tempted by half-devotions. Whisper them to your own heart when complacency arises. And proclaim them boldly in a world where passion is spent on fleeting things: that the only love worthy of God is total, consuming, and eternal.