One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” -Matthew 22:35-40 (NASB)

In 1967, the Beatles released the famous soon-to-be-famous song “All You Need Is Love.” The song was specifically written to be crystal clear in its meaning, and leaving nothing to misinterpretation.

It also sums up what believers are called to do every day: love God with every fiber of your being, and love others as yourself.

Being human, we’re not perfect in our obedience to these commandments. But what I’ve learned is that the more I dedicate and lose myself in pursuing the first commandment (to love God with all my might), the easier it is to obey the second commandment (to love others as myself).

That’s exactly what Jesus did: He loved those considered undesirable and unworthy of society’s standards. He loved His enemies. He modeled for us how to love if our eyes are trained on the Father.

If we love like Jesus, God can work through us to heal and transform this ailing world. We will be overflowing conduits to achieve this purpose, with strength and grace we could never muster on our own. And to do it, His love is all you need.