Scripture: Luke 12:49-53
49 "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
 |
| Jesus, the Light of the World Warner Sallman |
God wants us to love Him above all, and love of God means that we make Him number one in our lives. It is possible that doing what God wants us to do can make us unpopular in today's society which places more importance in material things and pleasure. We may even have conflicts with friends and family members if putting them first becomes an obstacle with what God wants us to do. Being a Christian means being loyal to Jesus first even at the risk of causing division. If our loyalty belongs to someone or in many cases something, then we are guilty of having other "gods", a violation of God's commandment.
It may seem unreasonable for Jesus to demand this kind of relationship with us. But if we reflect on it deeply, God really deserves nothing less than all the love and loyalty we could give. He has showed us the way by loving us to the point of laying down His life. And He showed loyalty to us by carrying out His mission up to His painful death on the cross.
Putting God first is a winning decision for us. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. God knows exactly what is best for us, and He wants our happiness and welfare more than anything else. Putting God first ensures that we are always on the path to goodness, happiness, peace, love and our ultimate goal of eternal union with Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment