In continuation from last week’s article on the Greatest Command (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:30), we will be looking at what it means to love God with your soul. As modern westerners, we think of “soul” as the part of us that exists after death apart from the body. However, it is highly unlikely that Moses meant this. The word for soul in Hebrew (nephesh) did not just talk about a person’s spiritual essence, but rather that person’s entire being or, more simply, a person’s life.  This latter definition can be seen in 1 Kings 19:10 where Elijah is feeling alone in his walk with the Lord and king Ahab’s men are seeking to kill him, “…I am left alone and they seek my nephesh, to take it away.” Elijah is not saying that he fears these men taking his immortal soul away from him. Rather, he fears these people are trying to take his life.

Loving the Lord with all of your “soul” then means to love him with your entire life, including the physical aspects. The applications for this are almost limitless. We can love God by using our lives to serve others. We can love him by praising him with our being (Psalm 103:1). Ultimately, we must love God by surrendering our lives to his service. In everything that you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31)!