3 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
Genesis 31:22-32:32
Matthew 10:26-42
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Matthew 10:37 (CSB): “The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
When we read Matthew 10:37 and hear Jesus tell us that we shouldn’t love our closest family members more than Him, we may be tempted to think that we should love them less.
For instance, if I acknowledge that I care much more deeply for my wife and sons than I care for Jesus, should I decrease my care for them so that my love for Jesus is stronger?
No! A thousand times, NO!
Rather than decrease our love for our dearest family members, we should increase our devotion and love for our God! After all, it is God’s Word that tells husbands to have a love so much stronger than most men will ever have for their wives.
Ephesians 5:25 (CSB): “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her”
As I strive to love my wife more than I currently do, I should strive to love my Lord and Savior even more!
This leads us to how we ultimately show our love for our Lord. With so much emphasis put on the emotion of love, contemporary Christians may be tempted to say that our love for Jesus should be affectionate. After all, how can we explain the large number of Christian songs (that men hate) that lead the worshipper to act like Jesus is a long-lost boyfriend?
If we look to Scripture, we can’t help but realize that our love for God should certainly have some emotion to it. But it is primarily rooted in the will. Biblical love for God means that we choose to respond to Him in
Realize that the “love” we have for our God certainly has emotional aspects to it. But it is ultimately rooted in our will. It is ultimately a choice that we make to value Him and obey Him.
After all, listen to what Jesus and then His disciple, John, said:
John 14:15 (CSB): “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”
1 John 5:3 (CSB): “For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden,”
So, do you love your family? I certainly hope so! Are you growing in your love for your family? Again, I certainly hope so! But make sure that your allegiance to Jesus, demonstrated primarily by obedience, is even greater!
Spend Time in Prayer
Heavenly Father, the first and greatest commandment calls me to love you with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I understand that to mean I am to love You with everything that I am. But I also understand that love for You is primarily demonstrated in my study of Your Word, understanding it, and obeying it. So help me to show my love for You by being a doer of Your Word. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Going Deeper
If you want to go deeper, check out this article by Got Questions: “What does it mean to love Jesus?”
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com).
Matt’s Musings 