# Mark 12: 30-31 **URL:** \ **Category:** Christianity\ **Created:** [October 2, 2026, 9:44pm UTC](https://fursforchrist.com/t/mark-12-30-31/461 "2026-10-02T21:44:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DiffurenceFurry](https://fursforchrist.com/user_avatar/fursforchrist.com/diffurencefurry/32/366_2.png) [@DiffurenceFurry](https://fursforchrist.com/u/DiffurenceFurry)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 9:44pm UTC](https://fursforchrist.com/t/mark-12-30-31/461/1 "2026-10-02T21:44:55Z")
What does Mark 12: 30-31 actually mean? I can start by explaining my own understanding. When you answer, explain what you’re using love to mean. I use the word Love as an \ __action_\_ love is a thing you \__ do_\_ to others. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Everything we want and do and need and feel should further God at all times. God should be the only thing we want and need and feel anything about. When it doesn’t, we sin. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ I interpret this to mean we must love all people the exact same way as we would love ourselves, with the same intensity or (easier) greater intensity. Hobbies that we do for our own personal enjoyment and things we enjoy but do not furnish to others would violate **both** elements as I am understanding them. But one can be a Christian and do things they like without considering the needs of everyone? I am trying to understand but I am very confused. In a world where there’s resource exhaustion, overpopulation in some areas, and climate change due to manmade issues, I do not see how to conclude any other action that satisfies both items at once other than a specific action. ---
**Author:** ![Constellation](https://fursforchrist.com/user_avatar/fursforchrist.com/constellation/32/269_2.png) [@Constellation](https://fursforchrist.com/u/Constellation)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 12:47am UTC](https://fursforchrist.com/t/mark-12-30-31/461/2 "2026-10-03T00:47:07Z")
I interpret these verses as talking about things on a whole-life scale. As in, prioritize God in your life, and give others equal priority to yourself overall. I don’t believe it means that “God should be the only thing we want and need and feel anything about” and that we can’t personally enjoy anything. I think it would be crazy to expect any human to be physically able to do that. Things that would look like my interpretation of these verses would be praying daily and drawing strength from God, thanking Him for all He has provided (the first mandate), and doing one act of service or donation for every personal unnecessary expenditure or fun self-indulgence. Not that that’s necessarily easy, but it’s sure a lot more doable than what your brain is telling you. ---
**Author:** ![somerandomplayer](https://fursforchrist.com/user_avatar/fursforchrist.com/somerandomplayer/32/376_2.png) [@somerandomplayer](https://fursforchrist.com/u/somerandomplayer)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 5:20am UTC](https://fursforchrist.com/t/mark-12-30-31/461/3 "2026-10-03T05:20:08Z")
A little bit later in Mark, it is clarified that loving one’s neighbor is more important than burnt offerings. So, loving others can automatically satisfy the command to love God, as it is doing God’s will. God would also rather we just not sin to avoid the need for the sacrifices/offerings. Since we fail at not sinning, God took care of that for us. Having a simple (or even not-so-simple) formula about how much action for neighbors and God should be done, is a dangerous goal. That can easily lead to pride or despair/doubt depending on what happens. That being said, some guidelines to help oneself to love neighbors and God can be useful. If I do good to me then I should make sure to do good for someone else. What counts as necessary or selfish self-love can be messy, particularly when it comes to mental health. Loving others to the point where we damage ourselves (when it could be reasonably avoided) is not love. Can’t really help others if we starve and die ourselves. We really should just make sure we’re using our resources wisely.