With All My Heart, I Will Love You
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ‘This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37-39).
From the moment we emerge from our mother’s womb and draw our first breath, we become participants in a timeless war. The details are not recorded in history books or newspapers, for it’s a subtle war fought in secret subterfuge without rules. Lies, deceit, and emotional pain are the major weapons used to damage and destroy the hearts of people. From the beginning of time, God and Satan have fought over the possession of our hearts (Eph. 6:10-12).
God wants our hearts free of damage, sin, and distractions to enjoy an intimate relationship with Him and with others. Satan’s goal is to take advantage of our weakness and life’s cruelties—creating strongholds that influence us through hidden pain and sin in our damaged hearts. Using a stronghold as a base of operation, Satan attempts to destroy all our relationships, especially our relationship with God. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
For over forty years of my life, I allowed Satan, the enemy, to influence me on a daily basis, even while Jesus was my Lord and Savior. I was totally unaware of Satan’s cunning plan to rob me of my relationships with my children, spouse, and others. As these relationships crumbled, my effectiveness for Christ diminished. Discouragement set in, and I became self-absorbed in my own pain. Negative thoughts prevented me from having an intimate relationship with God or anyone else. All of this affected my ability to fully understand God’s Word and His plans for me. After forty years, I finally learned how to let Jesus help me overcome my repetitive problems. I was finally becoming the person He created me to be—a person who can live an abundant life in Christ and love Him with all my heart.
Any historian will tell you that a war consists of many battles. There’s a timeless war in our lives that is no different. I knew that Christ ultimately won the war at Calvary, but I was still losing personal battles daily against Satan. He was successfully destroying what I cared most about—my relationships. We can live an abundant life in Christ only when we allow Him to help us win these battles.
Wars are won by taking over the ground where each battle is fought. Similarly, each battle in our life is fought over a piece of ground in our heart. When Satan has control of that area, the Bible refers to it as a foothold or a stronghold (Eph. 4:27).
The enemy can confuse and distract us so subtly and so well that our relationships become damaged—even destroyed. We often don’t even realize when or how he does this. Instead, when our lives and relationships fall apart, we blame other people or we get angry and even blame God for our damaged relationships and the state of our world.
Satan’s ultimate goal for the non-Christian is to destroy lives and cause eternal separation from God (1 Pet. 5:8). Since Satan can’t separate Christians from the love of God (Rom. 8:35–39) or from our relationship with God, his goals are to take advantage of upheaval in our lives, rob us of our joy, and prevent us from loving God with all our heart. This causes us to be less effective for God. When he can get us to focus on our problems and emotional pain, he prevents us from actually becoming who God created us to be.
Satan can influence us in the following ways:
1. Through sins committed against us without our permission (abuse).
2. Through generational sins passed down to us from our parents and their parents (Exod. 20:4-5).
3. Through sins we choose to do and cultivate.
4. Through other experiences in our life and the world around us (includes effects from accidents, illnesses, war, weather, etc.).
In this book, you will find Satan’s plan of attack clearly revealed as I shed light on sins and strongholds in our hearts and how these strongholds affect our lives. Through God’s Word and living examples, I will reveal how God’s power can and will set us free of these strongholds. You will see amazing evidence of how God keeps His promises.
Each chapter is divided into three sections. The first section is “My Story,” which details my journey from tears to triumph, from hate to deep and abiding love, and from hidden pain to overflowing joy. It describes my struggles, discoveries, and victories while God transforms my heart. I will reveal how the enemy worked for many years to destroy my life and the lives of my children. And I will triumphantly show how Jesus conquered the enemy, transformed our lives, and restored our seemingly hopeless relationships for His glory. You will also discover how my relationship with God completely changed. Even though parts of this book tell about me and my family, it is not really about us. It is about God meeting you and me right where we are, especially in the miry pit of despair.
“Reflections” is the second section of each chapter. As I reflect on the first section of the chapter, I will introduce biblical principles and share how Jesus uses them to transform lives. Throughout the book, God is glorified as He transforms lives through His power.
The third section, “Courageous Hearts,” lays a biblical foundation. Here, you will be encouraged and enlightened through examples, scripture, and practical applications. The purpose of this section is to build upon and allow you to reflect on what you have read in that chapter, give God an opportunity to speak to your heart, and allow Him to transform your life. Through practical exercises, this section will lead you on your own personal journey with Jesus where you can love God with all your heart, mind, and soul.
What I wish most is to care about your heart in simple, practical ways, and lead you into taking the same steps I took.
I hope my story can help give you courage to look closely at your own life and be encouraged. I once counseled a lady who told me, “If God could help you, He can help anybody.” After we had a good laugh, God also met her and helped her. If you are at the end of your rope and your life looks absolutely hopeless, be encouraged. We serve a mighty God, who can win our battles, heal our hearts, and restore our relationships.
Here are four important suggestions to achieve the best results from this book. I would like to strongly encourage you to try these and practice them often.
1. Find a quiet place to relax while you read. Answer the questions from each chapter, perhaps in a separate notebook. Take your time while reading and listen as God speaks to your heart.
2. As you read, write your own memories in the book margins and highlight phrases or words you have felt in the past or anything else you can relate to. Make this book personal.
3. If you will take your time, engage your feelings and relax in a place that’s safe and quiet; this will help you hear God speak to you and will allow Him the necessary time to heal your heart if you’ll let Him. Ask God to be with you each step of the way and anticipate answers from Him when you pray the prayers included in this book.
4. Ask God to help you find a trusted friend to care about your heart. If you are married, ask your spouse even if your relationship is rocky. They don’t have to know how to care for your heart, but would be willing to learn. You will learn how to care about them, also.
5. Relax. God can help you. Take your time with each chapter and ask God to speak to your heart. This is not meant to be a quick-read book just to gain more knowledge.
Your journey begins as you ponder these three questions:
1. Do I have deep, inner joy—full and overflowing?
2. When I think of my family, do I smile and feel privileged and overjoyed to know them and to be related to each of them?
3. Do my relationships on earth reflect how I love God with all my heart, mind, and soul?
Ten years ago, I was at the end of my rope, and I answered no to these questions. At that time, I had no idea how to resolve all of the conflicts between me and my family. Then, someone else cared about my heart and, step by step, began to show me how to resolve conflicts. I want to do that for you. I want to share each step I took with God that restored every relationship. I will include my struggles, pitfalls, and the biblical truths I have discovered over the past few years. I invite you into our lives and encourage you to take the steps I took, both for your sake and for the ones you love.
Because of the adventure and the challenges it will bring to your life, this can be an exciting book. This book reveals an omnipotent God, who is stronger than any problem you face and larger than any obstacle in your way. Our God has an endless and everlasting love that reaches to our deepest pain and despair as He transforms our lives. He can and will set us free to truly love Him and others.
What a miracle God has worked in my life! For the last ten years, I have been able to answer the three questions with a resounding yes. My joy is deep, full, and overflowing, and I am so privileged to intimately know and love each person in my family and love God with all my heart.
God helped me and He can help you. Won’t you join me on this adventure and let God transform your heart?