Why Strength Alone Isn’t Enough | Mark 12:30
- Christian Lifter
- Jun 4
- 2 min read
Devotional
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”
This quote comes directly from Jesus, who at the time was answering the question of which commandment is the most important. This line of questioning was with the leaders of Israel and was a large part of what caused Jesus to be killed.
One thing we know about Jesus is that he chooses his words carefully; he is the ultimate teacher and does not make mistakes. Whether he was speaking in parables or speaking directly, every word served a purpose. My point being, I believe the order of his response in this verse is important.
Jesus tells us that we must love the Lord our God with our heart, soul, mind, and, lastly, strength. Notice that our heart comes first and our strength comes last. This makes heart first, but a first among equals.
Strength should be last on the list, not because it’s unimportant, but because it must be guided by the heart, soul, and mind. If we get stronger for our own personal interests, then we are missing the point.
We are not called to love strength. We are called to love God with our strength. If we live our lives backwards and get stronger for ourselves, then we are not following God’s most important commandment.
As we move forward with our strength and conditioning, we will quickly realize the importance of His order. Strength is important, but it will not carry us through the difficult workouts alone. We must have the heart that will keep us going and the soul that won’t quit.
Workout
Today’s pull day should really test you. While there is a strength block, there is only a 1-minute rest between exercises, so you cannot go as heavy as you would before.
For those who have never done drag curls, it is also known as a cheat curl. Keep the bar close to your body the whole time. It feels more like a pull than a curl.
Pull Day
Strength
Bent-over Rows: 4x12
Narrow-grip Cable Rows: 3x12
Weighted Pull-ups: 3x8
Conditioning - 3 round circuit
Barbell Curls: 12
Cable Drag Curls: 12
Ab Wheel: 45 seconds