Who is First?

Matthew 10:37

37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Jesus spoke about not bringing peace but division.How can He be the peacemaker if He is bringing division right? Many are often confused by the words Jesus gave in Matthew 10:34-37. Christ did not object to family. Actually, He supported it.  Jesus wanted us to understand that no person whether male, female, adult or child is to hinder our relationship with Him. We are not to put anyone before God nor the Son of God. Anyone that we put before them has become an idol. And the first commandment says that we are to love God with all our heart and to have no other gods before Him.

It is natural to want to obey father and mother because they are the first human teachers as well as role models that stand in the gap of father and mother. But when you allow their role to come between you and Christ or their words to have more value than what God has asked of you, there is a problem. It is no different with son and daughter or husband/wife, etc. Abraham was an example. God promised him an heir, Isaac, who was born to him and Sarah in their old age. It would've have been natural for Abraham to worship his child so much so that he could ignore God but he did not. God tested him to see if he loved his son more than Him. He told Abraham he had to take Isaac to a mountain top and build an alter to sacrifice him. At the last minute, God sent an angel to stop Abraham and provided a proper sacrifice. He only wanted to see if Abraham loved the gift more than he loved the gift giver. And it was on that mountain that Abraham said Jehovah Jireh which is the God who provides (see. Genesis 22). Your spouse or significant other is not to hinder your relationship with Christ either. When you stop receiving the Word the of God, cease prayer, fail to continue to foster your relationship with Christ and ignore the Holy Spirit's prompting because you are enthralled with another, then you have allowed the gift God has placed in your life to become more important than He who brought you the gift. Anyone who loves you would want to see you continue to grow in Christ and not want you to fall away from Him. No one is to put above God. You can love, worship and serve God together and individually. The real glory in the marriage covenant, is when God is the pillar of your relationship that you both stand upon. Marriage is to reflect the relationship that Christ has with the church. Who is first in your life? The commands have not changed. They have just encompassed that we love one other but never more than we love the one who created us and the one who died so that you and I can live.

P.S. Remember to check out my girl Stubbs of the Leap of Faith Show Monday-Friday 10am-12pm on the Leap of Faith Network (www.lofnetwork.com) and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment!