The Danger of Drifting From What Matters Most
Hebrews 2:1 warns us with unmistakable urgency: “We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” God’s truth is not hidden or difficult to find. It is we who drift away from it. And nowhere is this more evident than in how easily we lose sight of the First and Great Commandment.
The First and Great Commandment is the first of five essential truths every believer and church must remember. But this raises a deeper question: What does Jesus Himself say is most important?
What Jesus Says Is the Most Important Command
A lawyer once asked Jesus the greatest question ever posed: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:36). This wasn’t a casual inquiry. It was a concealed challenged asking Jesus to identify the single truth that stands above all others.
Jesus answered with unmistakable clarity:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37–38)
With that statement, Jesus didn’t merely give an answer — He established the foundation for everything else God commands. The First and Great Commandment—loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind—is:
- First in order
- Greatest in importance
- The foundation of every other command
- The command that, if neglected, weakens all others
But notice something essential: This is not a command we do for God. It is a command we do for ourselves and only with what God’s help. This command exposes our deepest need — we need God. We need His love. And we need to love Him. This longing is not accidental; it is woven into the very design of our souls.
God created us we the need to love Him.
And this insight reveals a great danger we must avoid. If we do not begin with loving God first, we inevitably elevate something else — namely, ourselves. And whenever self takes the throne, the result is always the same: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
What Christians Say Is Important — and What They Overlook
When Christians are asked what matters most, common answers include:
- Winning souls
- Gaining wisdom
- Serving others
These are good answers — but not the first and greatest answer.
When surveys ask Christians what problems they face, the top issues include:
- Doctrinal confusion
- Secular pressure
- Biblical illiteracy
- Declining commitment
- Digital distraction
- Identity confusion
- Evangelism decline
- Mental and spiritual struggles
But when asked what Christians should do, the answers shift:
- Grow in a deeper relationship with God
- Understand and apply Scripture
- Strengthen prayer life
- Pursue discipleship
- Build strong families
- Overcome sin and temptation
The top need identified is a closer relationship with God.
Yet here is the shocking disconnect:
Most Christians do not list “lack of love for God” as a major problem — even though Jesus says it is the most important command.
Only 1 in 7 Christians describe their relationship with God as close. This means the greatest command is neglected, the greatest sin is unrecognized, and the greatest need is ignored.
The First and Great Commandment — and Its Enormous Implications
Jesus declared that loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind is the greatest commandment. He added the Jesus didn’t stop at identifying the First and Great Commandment. He immediately added the second — loving your neighbor — and declared that all Scripture hangs on these two commands. In other words, everything God has ever said depends on whether we obey the command to love Him first.
This means the First and Great Commandment is not optional, secondary, or equal to all others. It is the determining command — the one that decides whether every other command will be fulfilled according to God’s design.
And the implications are staggering. If Christians truly loved God with all their heart:
- Scripture would become central
- Doctrinal drift would disappear
- Secularism would lose influence
- Scandals would diminish
- Biblical illiteracy would fade
- Political division would weaken
- Church commitment would rise
- Materialism would lose its grip
- Digital distraction would shrink
- Identity confusion would resolve
- Pastors would be strengthened
- Evangelism would flourish
In short, the major issues Christians identify as “the real problems” would begin to heal at their root. Why? Because the First and Great Commandment reconnects people with God Himself — and with the remedies only He can provide.
Why Loving God Solves Every Spiritual Problem
The First and Great Commandment solves everything because it goes straight to the root. If God has your heart, He has your ears. And if He has your ears, He has your obedience. Everything else flows from that single relationship.
Most personal and church problems are not isolated issues. They are symptoms of a deeper condition — a failure to love God first. When the heart drifts, everything downstream drifts with it.
That’s why the solution is both simple and profound: Train believers to love God first. Not as a slogan. Not as a sentiment. But as the daily posture of the soul.
This is the foundation of discipleship. This is the engine of ministry. This is the spark of revival.
When believers return to the First and Great Commandment, everything else begins to realign — because everything else depends on it.
What It Means to Love God With All Your Heart, Soul, and Mind
To love God with all your heart means far more than warm feelings or occasional devotion. It is:
- Deep affection
- Full devotion
- Surrender of your will
- Trust in His goodness
- Desire aligned with His purposes
This is not partial, occasional, or convenient love. It is wholehearted devotion — the kind of love that shapes everything else in your life.
And when you love God like this, the effects become unmistakable:
- He fills your thoughts
- You talk to Him continually
- You obey Him joyfully
- You trust Him fully
- You serve Him gladly
This is the life God has always desired for His people. From Moses to Joshua to David, the message never changed: God must be loved first. Every generation was called to the same priority — because every generation drifts when this priority is lost.
The First and Greatest Sin
The first sin ever committed was not murder, deception, or violence. It was something far deeper — the abandonment of love for God. Before any outward act of rebellion appeared, the inward affection for God was displaced.
Isaiah 14 reveals Satan’s five declarations of self‑exaltation. Each one is a deliberate rejection of loving God first. Pride did not begin with action; it began with a heart that no longer treasured God above all.
This is why the failure to love God is the first and great sin. It is the root from which every other sin grows.
And Scripture shows this pattern again. In Revelation 2, the very first sin Jesus addresses in the churches is the loss of first love. Before correcting their works, He confronts their hearts. Their greatest problem was not what they were doing wrong — it was what they no longer loved.
The Evidence of Loving God
Scripture does not leave us guessing about what love for God looks like. It gives us a clear and measurable test.
1 John 5:2–3 We know we love God when we keep His commandments.
John 14:21 Those who love God keep His commandments — and in response, He manifests Himself to them.
John 14:23 Those who love God keep His words — and God makes His home with them.
The pattern is unmistakable: love expresses itself through obedience. But it is crucial to understand the order. Obedience does not produce love. Love produces obedience. Obedience is the fruit, not the root. It is the outward evidence of an inward affection.
When the heart loves God, the life God intended and that we desire follows.
Heed and Remember
- The greatest command is to love God.
- The greatest sin is failing to love Him.
- The greatest evidence of love is obedience, especially love for others.
- The greatest danger is drifting from that love.
- And the greatest need — in every generation — is to return to it.
These are not independent commands. They flow from fulfilling one command. When love for God is central, everything else aligns. When love for God is lost, everything else unravels sooner or later
The Christian life is not sustainable without consistent fulfillment of the first and great command..
This is why Scripture repeatedly calls us to heed and remember. Because the heart drifts quietly. And the only remedy is to return deliberately.
Next Step: How to Begin Loving God With All Your Heart
If you recognize that your love for God is not what it should be, take heart — God always invites His people back. Here is your next step:
1. Ask God to restore your first love. Pray honestly: “Lord, teach me to love You with all my heart.” He delights to answer this prayer.
2. Return to Scripture daily. Love grows where God speaks. Begin again in the Gospels or the Psalms and let His voice soften your heart.
3. Practice obedience in one area today. Choose one command you already know — and obey it out of love, not duty. Small acts of obedience rekindle affection.
4. Remove one distraction that pulls your heart away. Even a single step toward simplicity creates space for God to work deeply.
5. Talk to God throughout the day. Love grows through continual conversation, not occasional visits. Turn your thoughts toward Him often.
If you take even one of these steps today, you begin walking in the direction of the First and Great Commandment — and everything else in your Christian life will begin to realign. God always meets those who return to Him with an open heart and ask for His help.
Putting The Most Important Things Together
Growing in the things that matter most begins with aligning your life to God’s priorities. Let this truth guide your walk with Christ this week.
This is the second lesson in the five‑part series, “The Most Important Things Every Christian and Church Needs to Know.” If you missed the first lesson, you can read it here to stay aligned with the full progression.
To continue building on this foundation, read the next lesson: “The Most Important Mission on Earth: Fulfilling the Great Commission.”
For deeper growth in prayer, explore the podcast episode, “The 10 Most Important Questions About Prayer.”
