Matthew 10:37-39 "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."
This morning I sat on the beach and reflected on how these verses can be applied to so many areas of life. Like much of scripture, the fullness of God's truth is seen in so many aspects of life. In these verses I see how the Lord is getting us to prioritize our life, centering on Him. His way is always the best way for us; as well as, for the other people in our lives. I can't help but think about how many of us have tried to hold onto a child too tightly and what that does to all parties involved. When we hold onto something so tightly we suffocate and kill it. We also are missing out on the opportunities in which God really meant for us to focus.
Additionally, in these verses I see how the Lord is helping us see how we are not meant to be looking towards other people for approval. When we are focused on pleasing people we are attempting to fill a God sized and shaped hole in our heart that is designed just for Him. We are only truly fulfilled with His approval and love. If we replace Him with any other person, we are making them into an idol. Only the Lord can satisfy us with His deep, ever abundant, nurturing love. When we get a small taste of that love with other people, we tend to continue to seek it out. It can become like a drug, trying to get the cheap knock off fix of fulfillment that our father has for us but it never satisfies like He does.
We take something great like loving our family members and misdirect our desired outcomes and/or expectations, and this spoils it for us and them. The longer I live, the more I think that the most devastating sins are more difficult to detect. They are perversions of God's way. Twisted slowly and persistently to bind us and not allow us to live in complete freedom in Christ. When our priorities and expectations are askew we either put too much pressure on the object of our affection or we give that object too much of our own power away, dependent on their actions or inactions. We become enslaved. Galatians 4:9 "So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?"
What are you attempting to fill your need for love and approval with?
Who/what do you give your power to instead of the Lord who gives you all strength?
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