If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26
From reading the above verse we may have a thought does God tell me to hate my family. It is well understood from the same verse in Mathew 10:37 “
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.
Here God says who ever loves his fellow human more than Him is not my disciple. Let’s see why God says so that we should love him more.
- The first is because God loves us more than any person in the world. Everybody has experienced His love for us when we see others still living in the dark, tangled in sin, worshipping idols and in curse targeted by satan in their life. We were also among one of them but God’s love was revealed to us in the cross and made us his own children by His Grace. Now he showers his love daily in our lives in the form Grace fills us with all goodness of life.
- The second is the love from others may be lost when we show our anger or quarrel against them or fail to live to their expectations but our God even though we fail or sin against Him, murmur against Him or fall short His love for us never fades way. He loves us the same way and when we repent he showers His love and grace upon us.
- The third is his unconditional love which expects nothing in return but only the love for Him in return. The worldly love may be due to possessions, wealth or something in return but His love for us is unconditional.
Now is it not fair for God to ask us to love him more than all of this world.
Also we may think do we not have to love our family or friends than a certain extent. The answer is a person who is loving God can only love others more than anybody in this world. I see a lot of successful old couples who are not saved but they love their families and each other for a very long time but I wont say it is equal to any one loving God because loving God is a two way thing. When we love Him his love fills our heart and we will start to love our families, friends and people around us more than any ordinary person who doesn’t know Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now what is it like to say I love God. It is like just saying I love you God, I worship you in our gatherings and worship? For example let’s say a wife is having her birthday and the husband who loves his wife just wishes her happy birthday in words or does he expresses it by surprising her with celebration and gifts etc. In the same way we do not love our Lord through words and praises but also by works by following and living according to His words in our Life.
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me John 14:21
Do we feel burdened to express our love to our family members or friends. In the same way we express our love to our God by obeying and living according to His word which is not a burden to us.
this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome 1 John 5:3
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, we thank you Lord for the love you have showed us in our lives. Give us the grace to express our Love by living according to your word. Amen.
Sol.Leo