How difficult this is for us!

We would much rather have a measurable, countable commandment (”haven’t killed, check; “haven’t made an idol, check. . .”)than to live in a relationship with a present God.

Yet relationships are what Jesus says the commandments are about. “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.”

Where’s the countable checkmark there? How can we get it off our “to do” list? When will this requirement be satisfied, so I can move on to something else?

Yet if someone asked you how much work it is to love your boyfriend, your wife, your child, your grandfather, most of us would say “that’s different–that just *is*, it’s not something I have to *do*”.

Precisely. If loving God and others is a chore, there’s something wrong. Something that can be corrected, but it isn’t OK the way it is.