Religion Simplified

If you'll focus on loving God, everything else falls automatically into place. Want proof? Here are a few scriptures, step by step, to back this up:

• If you love God, you'll automatically come to love others more--the second great commandment.  1 John 4:20 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" 
• If you don't "love one another," then you're not yet a true disciple (unless you're trying, of course). John 13:35 "By this shall all men know that ye are my discipes, if ye have love one to another."
• If you keep these two great commandments, all others follow naturally. John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Matthew 22:37-40 "...Thou shalt love the Lord they God...Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law...."
• If you keep the commandments, you will grow to know God. "How knoweth a man the master whom he hath not served?"
• If you keep the commandments, you will grow to love God. Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." 1 John 4:20 "We love Him because He first loved us."
• If you do God's will, you will know truth. John 8:31-32 "...If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth...." John 7:17 "If any man shall do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

So how do you do this, how do you focus on loving God? Easy. Seek to understand and obey His will. Keep the commandments. Serve others. Be humble. Pray. Forgive others and yourself. Read the scriptures and apply them to your life. Everything else will fall in place automatically. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." Romans  8:28.

Also ask God for help on this. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Note: you sometimes have to ask for a long, long time, but don't give up!

Now then, if you work at this and see that you're really putting in some effort, you can quit beating yourself up (or judging others) for falling short of perfection.

Also, next time you're tempted, just tell yourself "I love God more than I love this sin." Focussing on something positive gives you strength.