Quality of Love… “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37
Has love for someone else become competition to your love for Christ? If you are driven to please a person in deference to your devotion to God, everyone is disappointed. Because a person can only find full satisfaction in their Savior Jesus, and giving God your leftovers always leaves you lacking. Perhaps this means briefer relational activity at night, so you can rise earlier to experience God. Love makes time for its lover.
Picture a love triangle with the Lord at the highest point. So you love Him at the pinnacle and then your love for others flows down the other sides in an avalanche of affection. When you determine to place Jesus at the summit of your worship, your service to people is the most significant. Temporal love–driven by eternal love–feels real and robust.
You are worthy of Jesus because He makes you worthy. His death on the cross–for all who believe– is a declaration of worthiness to all disciples who take up their cross and follow Him. You find your life–by losing your life in a love relationship with the Lord.
Who are you willing to walk away from for the sake of your walk with Christ? Who or what do you love more than Him? Name it and forsake it, as your love for Jesus should have no peers. No one is worthy of the same level of love that you have for your Lord. This is idolatry, but forsaking all others is freedom. Thus–love Him first–or He is worthy. The quality of your love for God determines the quality of your love for people.
What relationship competes with my love for Christ? How does Jesus expect me to love Him?
Related Readings: Deuteronomy 33:9; Micah 7:6-7; John 21:15-19; 2 Timothy 3:4
Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?
