Suggested Reading: Luke 14:25-33
One television show that has always amazed me is this cable show that chronicles the lives of a man and his four wives. Apparently, there used to be just three but the husband decided they could use another and so he began searching out a fourth wife. Every time the show comes on I want to joke with my wife saying, "That sounds like a pretty good idea!" I resist the urge now because one time I actually said it to my wife and, even though she knew I was joking, the look I got wasn't pretty. See, my wife has this crazy idea that she doesn't want to share me with anyone. She wants all of my love and commitment directed toward her. If I were to seriously try to split my love and energy between her and someone else she wouldn't stick around long.
We understand this concept when it comes to our marriages but often fail to see the connection when it comes to our relationship with God. In Luke 14:26, Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple" (HCSB). Jesus doesn't want to share our love and devotion with other people or things. He wants our love and devotion to him to be so much stronger than what we have for anyone or anything else that our love for those things looks like hate by comparison.
So, if you were to look at the time and energy you spend on your relationship with Jesus versus what you spend on, say, your significant other or your friends, what would that tell you about who is most important to you? If you were to compare the amount of money you spend on hobbies and interests and the amount you spend investing in Jesus' kingdom where would he think your priorities lie?
Jesus doesn't just want to be really important to us. He doesn't even want to be the most important in a tight contest. Jesus warned us that we should love him (and remember that love is as much a choice as a feeling) so much more than anything or anyone else that we appear to hate them by comparison OR we cannot be his disciples.
So let's take a good honest look at ourselves. How important is Jesus to us, really? Can you tell it by our choices and actions? Jesus doesn't want to be our favorite; he wants to be our one and only.
One television show that has always amazed me is this cable show that chronicles the lives of a man and his four wives. Apparently, there used to be just three but the husband decided they could use another and so he began searching out a fourth wife. Every time the show comes on I want to joke with my wife saying, "That sounds like a pretty good idea!" I resist the urge now because one time I actually said it to my wife and, even though she knew I was joking, the look I got wasn't pretty. See, my wife has this crazy idea that she doesn't want to share me with anyone. She wants all of my love and commitment directed toward her. If I were to seriously try to split my love and energy between her and someone else she wouldn't stick around long.
We understand this concept when it comes to our marriages but often fail to see the connection when it comes to our relationship with God. In Luke 14:26, Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple" (HCSB). Jesus doesn't want to share our love and devotion with other people or things. He wants our love and devotion to him to be so much stronger than what we have for anyone or anything else that our love for those things looks like hate by comparison.
So, if you were to look at the time and energy you spend on your relationship with Jesus versus what you spend on, say, your significant other or your friends, what would that tell you about who is most important to you? If you were to compare the amount of money you spend on hobbies and interests and the amount you spend investing in Jesus' kingdom where would he think your priorities lie?
Jesus doesn't just want to be really important to us. He doesn't even want to be the most important in a tight contest. Jesus warned us that we should love him (and remember that love is as much a choice as a feeling) so much more than anything or anyone else that we appear to hate them by comparison OR we cannot be his disciples.
So let's take a good honest look at ourselves. How important is Jesus to us, really? Can you tell it by our choices and actions? Jesus doesn't want to be our favorite; he wants to be our one and only.
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