WHO GETS YOUR PRIORITY LOVE?
This statement from Jesus to His disciples is very disconcerting, until you understand its meaning. Jesus is claiming the priority love that belongs to God alone. He is not saying you cannot love your family and be His follower too. No, far from it. He is saying that we must love Him above all others, even our very families.
Since Jesus is God, He appropriately claims our first devotion. Yet, choosing to love Christ first, above all others, we are actually filled with the love of God which causes us to truly love not only our families, but our neighbors and even our enemies.
The thing that grieved Christ about the church of Ephesus was not that they had fallen into sin, or that they had become heretics. No, He commended them for their faithfulness in these areas. What grieved Christ is that they had “forsaken” their “first love” for Him (Rev. 2:4).
Following Christ is a priority commitment of the heart as well as the head. When Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, He said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matt. 22:37).
We are called to love Jesus as He loves us.
PRAYER: Lord, it amazes us that You not only love us, but You desire us to love You back. Why are You mindful of such things concerning us, Your creatures. Yet, You became one of us and died for us, so that we might be redeemed. Such love is beyond our understanding. So, we give You our first love willingly. We declare our priority love for You this day. In Jesus name, Amen.