Who Do You Love More?

"He 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."

Matt 10:37

I am reading The Wasted Life by John Piper right now. GREAT BOOK. I highly recommend it. In fact, I am even considering giving my copy away because I think EVERYONE should read this book. I NEVER give books away.

Anyway... Piper talks about how the wasted life is one that does not seek to glorify God in EVERY single aspect. That's an idea I had heard before and I agreed with. I still do agree with, but I am thinking more and more about what that means.

Piper used the verse above in one part of his book that was talking about magnifying Christ in the midst of pain and suffering. He says that when we are able, after losing all that is dear to us, to say that we have everything we need and more, we are magnifying Christ.

Now, to be honest, I've always thought that loving Christ more than my parents was a relatively easy thing to do conssidering my upbringing. I don't think I had really thought about that verse though since Eddie's birth so the verse struck me kinda hard.

In Luke 14:26 we are told that those who do not hate their parents and children and their own life cannot be Christ's disciple. I don't think we are to literally hate, but rather that our love for our parents and children should dull in comparison to our love for Christ.

I have to be honest, aside from Ed, there isn't a single thing or person I love more than Eddie. When Eddie was born prematurely, I was angry with God because I was scared of what might have happened to Eddie. I SHOULD have been praising God for being who He is -- regardless of the outcome of Eddie's prematurity.

I don't know how to love Christ more than Eddie. I don't know how to be like Abraham who was willing to sacrifice Isaac to honor God. I pray that I learn how to be that obedient and that loving towards Christ.