“Who do you love more?”
It’s a question that has been flitting in and out of my mind for months. No, it’s not a choice between children or people. It’s a question that God has been asking me for months. Who do you love more, Me or….?” Fill in the blank.
As I’ve studied the life of Jesus in Beth Moore’s, Jesus the One and Only bible study, the question resonates often. We’ve gotten a taste of what it was like to be one of His disciples. As we’ve witnessed Jesus’ ministry, we’ve gotten to know Him a whole lot better. It’s impossible, for anyone, to walk away untouched by his presence. But as we see over and over in the scriptures, reactions can vary.
The Pharisees, teachers of the law, religious leaders rejected him. His presence, his touch, was like a burning coal. It exposed their hardened hearts. They loved their status, their prestige in society, their rules, more. Their pride wouldn’t give these comforts up. And so they turned their backs on Jesus, His teachings and instead, decided how they would get rid of him. Loving something or someone more is a dangerous game.
On the flip-side, those with open hearts, desperate hearts, burdened hearts, sick hearts, His presence, His touch, was a healing balm. Their pride wouldn’t let him go because they knew He was it, “THE ONE and ONLY”. There was no other. There could be no other. Loving Him more gave life.
For me, the question persists, Am I your “one and only”? Who or what do you love more…Me or _______? Do I love: my possessions, ministry, shoes, hobbies, family, more? Do I love: my sin, my anger, the desire to be right, my rut/pit, more?
Some of these are good things. It is not wrong to love your family and the other good things that bless our lives. But they can’t come first or it’s idolatry. God is definitely clear on that:
Then God gave the people all these instructions:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.3 “You must not have any other god but me.4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. Genesis 20:1-4 (NLT)
Pretty straightforward. If we don’t deal with our idols then God will because He loves us with a jealous love. I don’t know about you but I’d rather deal with my idols first with God’s help rather than continue to let them have a place of prominence in my life. To give them more.
It’s true and scary, that the god we place our more in is often picked up by our children. They watch us always and the things we do, the things we love, they take as their own. Not always but a lot.
I want to teach my kids that Jesus is IT – there is no other. He is the more in my life. I want the generations that come after me to be lavished with His unfailing love because the legacy we’ve left is one of love and obedience.
So the question; Do I love Jesus more than all? It’s an important one. Is Jesus really, my “ONE AND ONLY”?
Is Jesus the more in your life?