Re: Verse reading – Luke 14:25-35 (day six)
I did not have to persuade her. She understood. 29 years ago, when I proposed marriage to Holly Holm and she accepted (cue LOUD, HAPPY music!) she agreed that I would be her only love. I agreed the same for her. Since that day, she and I have faithfully hated, denied, rejected and broken the heart of every other suitor for our affections (personal, professional, circumstantial). Essential! Beautiful! Necessary part of the marriage equation. No room for anyone else. Exclusive. I think this what Jesus meant in Luke 18. “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.” (v 26) Those who follow Christ into the life of the Spirit must be prepared to reject all other lovers. Nothing and no one can come close to the loyalty we have for Him. He desires/deserves an exclusive love.
Amen.
As one of my favorite Pastors says, “God will cause lesser lovers to fail you.” That is His great love. It is in this that we can “see” what we thought we needed from those lesser lovers (whether human or not), can only truly be found in Him. This is a lesson we should have learned from the the 1st commandment “you shall have no other Gods before me” but sometimes this lesson can take a while to learn… apparently.
Even if it offends major TV personalities… our God IS a jealous God (may He be praised!!). As we see His jealousy for us… we can understand that as His children we also must return that love/ loyalty back to Him by learning to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”
Reminds me of, “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”
Father, thank you for this lesson!!
Pastor, what a beautiful analogy–marriage & life with Christ. Like marriage is holy so should our pursuit of life with Jesus Christ. Thank you for your lesson. Blessings