Two things matter

Life is complicated and can be confusing. So many voices telling us what to do. Lists abound. Top things to do, say, eat, not do...5 easy steps, 7 steps, 12 steps...what to do when, how to say what, and the lists go on and on about everything imaginable.

What about the Christian life? What does God require of us? We have our lists too. Pray. Read your Bible. Go to church. These are all good things, but if we're missing the main thing they don't mean much.

The people came to Jesus with this question: "What is it all about?" What message was Jesus bringing to mankind?

Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one whom he has sent." John 6:28-29

I love this verse! When our kids were little and we were choosing a verse from each of the books of the Bible to memorize, this was the one we chose from John. Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: that you believe in the one he has sent." He tells them/us plainly what the main thing is.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'", and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

Luke 10:25-28

"Do this and you will live." Love God, love each other. Because of His love for us, and knowing this love, we love others.

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just he has commanded us. 1 John 3:23

Two things matter. Walk in the love that God has lavished on us through Jesus Christ. Love Him and love others. That's keeping the main thing the main thing.