“He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” –Matthew 22:37-39
“Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.” –Deuteronomy 6:5
At a very young age I learned something that I have always taken with me in my own life journey. I learned that love and knowledge are two things you can give and never give up. You can’t diminish your knowledge or love by sharing it fully.
[pullquote]“If I teach you everything I know, I still know it!” –Tony Agnesi[/pullquote]
I can give someone the gift of knowledge and I haven’t given up anything. Most teachers, mentors, and motivators unconsciously realize this. They are quick to teach and share their knowledge with younger people, to mentor them and to help them advance their careers. They can give them something without giving up anything!
The same is true for love. I can love my wife with 100% of my being and still have the capacity to love my children 100% as well. Giving my love totally to my spouse does not diminish the ability to love my children totally as well!
Have you ever had one of your kids say, “You love Suzy or Billy more than you love me?” The correct response is, “No, I love you both equally, 100%!”
[pullquote]”If I love you with all my heart, I still have the capacity to love fully.” –Tony Agnesi[/pullquote]
In Matthew we learn of the two great commandments. The first is to love God totally, 100%, with our whole heart, soul and mind. And if we do this, we have not diminished the capacity to love our neighbor in the same way. Frankly, it is the way that Jesus led his life.
Jesus, taught his disciples with stories and parables that they could remember and repeat to others on their journey through life, and he loved them, each of them, with 100% of his being. What a great example for each of us.
Let us make a vow to teach what we know about the faith to others, to evangelize, to share stories and experiences that will help others grow in their faith journeys.
And let’s try to love more fully those people in our lives. Remember, loving fully does not diminish the ability to love. It doesn’t take any more energy than it does to ration out our love.
Love and Knowledge, two things we can give away, fully and freely, and still have. What a great gift from our Father above!
**This post is an update of a story originally published in April of 2013.**
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