TODAY I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU ONE OF THOSE PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE THAT STOPS YOU IN YOUR TRACKS. ONE OF THOSE VERSES WHERE YOU THINK TO YOURSELF, “DID JESUS REALLY SAY THAT? ” TODAY’S VERSE HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE CONDITION OF OUR HEART AND THE POSITION JESUS HOLDS IN OUR HEART.
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, "IF ANYONE COMES TO ME "AND DOES NOT HATE FATHER AND MOTHER, WIFE AND CHILDREN, "BROTHERS AND SISTERS - YES, EVEN THEIR OWN LIFE - "SUCH A PERSON CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. " WHOA! THIS ISN’T THE TYPE OF THING YOU SAY TO A CROWD.
BUT WHAT WAS JESUS GETTING AT? WHEN JESUS TELLS US TO "HATE" OUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND EVEN OUR OWN LIVES, HE'S NOT ADVOCATING FOR ACTUAL HATRED. HE'S ILLUSTRATING A CRUCIAL PRINCIPLE: THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF LOVING GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE.
IN A WORLD FILLED WITH THINGS VYING FOR OUR ATTENTION, IT'S EASY TO LET OTHER THINGS TAKE PRECEDENCE IN OUR LIVES. BUT HERE'S THE TRUTH: GOD DESIRES, AND DESERVES, TO BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF OUR HEARTS AND LIVES. HE WANTS US TO LOVE HIM WITH A PASSION THAT SURPASSES ANY OTHER AFFECTION OR ATTACHMENT.
GOD IS ALL FOR US LOVING AND PRIORITIZING OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BUT NOT ABOVE HIS POSITION. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL? IT MEANS ORIENTING OUR LIVES AROUND HIS WILL AND PLAN FOR OUR LIFE.
IT MEANS SEEKING HIS DESIRES ABOVE OUR OWN DESIRES. TODAY, LET'S WORSHIP HIM ABOVE ALL ELSE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE HE’S WORTHY OF IT, BUT ALSO BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT WHEN WE DO, IT’S FOR OUR OWN GOOD, PEACE, AND ULTIMATE FULFILLMENT.
