To me, the first two commandments are God's commands largely for loyalty, action, submission, sacrifice, reflection, and humility in how we show our fear of the Lord as our exclusive and sovereign Savior in three relationships: with Him, ourselves, and others.
I think those commandments are vague, for lack of a better word, because our response will be expressed differently from every single human from Adam all the way to the second coming, but no matter what shape or size, God is getting the glory and that's the point. For me, the vagueness is a huge security for how much God loves me because those type of instructions DEMAND a mutual pursuit, effort, and eventually an intimate connection in order to achieve deep understanding (and not just with God, but with yourself and other people as well.. Otherwise He would have left out the second commandment). To me, it is an eternal and steady invitation to the most dumbfounding, awe-inspiring, personal, powerful, intimate, inspirational, humbling, and transformational relationship I could ever have while on earth... And then to be covered in grace enough and personally appointed by name to even ATTEMPT imitation on this earth just takes it to a whole new level. And to know that He has extended and has sent sinners throughout the world to extend that very same invitation to members of EVERY tribe, tongue, and nation to ever walk this earth just makes me laugh with joy at the amount of glory He has received from those walking on earth and how much more He still deserves and will continue to harvest by redeeming sinners. God deserves glory from every detail this earth has ever known because His hands made it all so it makes total sense to me that He will not send Jesus to return until a multiplying body of believers from every variation of His Creation has proclaimed and practiced faith and glorification of His Name. He created it all so He will wait and empower and send out His chosen ones until every people group is represented in Heaven to praise Him in eternity. That is why Jesus even came... So that we could aid in the expansion of His Kingdom at His will to reach that goal - that's why He gave us the Great Commission!! Ah!!! Oh my gosh. "All for His glory." Truly! I love my Hebrew tattoo more every day, I mean it.
I also love how the order is love God, love yourself, love others. God tells us to know and love Him with everything we are capable of. Give it all, He says. And when you're doing that, the first things you should learn about Him are the ramifications of the gospel for humanity. The gospel is a testament and promise of a rescue plan set forth and predicted by God, manifested through Christ's life, public ministry, and death, and established by His resurrection after conquering sin and death by the power of the Holy Spirit fully alive in Him from and unbroken relationship and unstoppable plan with His heavenly Father. This gives us the power of the Holy Spirit, the authority of Jesus Christ and all that rests in the heavens, grace, and forgiveness so that as we learn more about God, we can, in whatever way you are able to bring Him most glory, share and practice as many characteristics of God as He graciously and personally reveals to us with confidence in His intentions for revealing and teaching them to you no matter the worldly consequences. Also, you can and will find levels of intimacy with humans as long as you live, whether deep or shallow, but I believe that marriage is the only place you will ever come closest to experiencing and imitating the intimacy and respect of Christ's relationship with us, the Church, outside of eternity. So instead of primarily trying to seek intimacy and completion in your relationships with people, I challenge you, as your sister in Christ, to surrender out loud and maybe even on paper all expectations and desires you have to find fulfillment through people in this time of stress and loneliness and seek the best and ever present invitation to divine connection. Practice getting to know God again- as your Father, Friend, Romancer, Comforter, Counselor, Savior, Redeemer, Creator, and so many more.
You are made by Him, for Him. Cling to that and claim it. Study and do everything you can to cultivate a love for HIM and who HE is and will always be first, and then He will show you how to love yourself and see yourself the same way He does and then reveal to you how you, (fill in your name), child of sinners and member of a fallen world, are specific to His plan in loving others. Be encouraged. He loves you and so do I. We're on your team.
