1 00:00:02,670 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: Life Audio Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is about loving 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,060 Speaker 1: Jesus more than we do right now. We'll return with 4 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:37,349 Speaker 1: the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. Loving 5 00:00:37,430 --> 00:00:42,270 Speaker 1: Jesus More, written and read by Cindy McMenamin, Crosswalk Contributing Writer. 6 00:00:43,830 --> 00:00:46,070 Speaker 1: If anyone comes to me and does not hate his 7 00:00:46,150 --> 00:00:50,110 Speaker 1: own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, 8 00:00:50,190 --> 00:00:53,310 Speaker 1: and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 9 00:00:53,690 --> 00:00:57,860 Speaker 1: Luke 14, 26. Have you ever stumbled over these words? 10 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,700 Speaker 1: Why would Jesus seem to not want any followers by 11 00:01:01,740 --> 00:01:05,059 Speaker 1: telling others they have to hate their own father and mother? 12 00:01:05,540 --> 00:01:08,460 Speaker 1: wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even their own life, 13 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:13,110 Speaker 1: in order to be a devoted follower of his. Certainly, 14 00:01:13,209 --> 00:01:16,630 Speaker 1: Jesus wasn't telling us to hate others. In fact, he 15 00:01:16,670 --> 00:01:19,410 Speaker 1: told the teacher of the law that the greatest commandment 16 00:01:19,470 --> 00:01:22,270 Speaker 1: was to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, 17 00:01:22,330 --> 00:01:25,890 Speaker 1: and strength. And the second greatest was to love our 18 00:01:25,930 --> 00:01:29,290 Speaker 1: neighbor as much as we already love ourselves, Matthew 22, 37-39. No, 19 00:01:29,290 --> 00:01:36,250 Speaker 1: Jesus wasn't telling us to hate others. or neglect them 20 00:01:36,310 --> 00:01:39,919 Speaker 1: in any way, especially those in our own households. He 21 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: was telling us that our love and dedication to Him 22 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: must be so strong that it's as if we hate 23 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: any other family member in comparison. He was giving us 24 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: a very tall order for what it means to follow Him. 25 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,380 Speaker 1: He was letting us know what putting Him first really 26 00:01:57,420 --> 00:02:01,740 Speaker 1: looked like. Jesus also told His disciples in Matthew 16, 27 00:02:01,710 --> 00:02:05,950 Speaker 1: 24 and 25, Again, was Jesus trying to make it 28 00:02:05,970 --> 00:02:08,150 Speaker 1: so difficult that no one could follow him? To the contrary, 29 00:02:08,169 --> 00:02:10,590 Speaker 1: I believe he was looking for those who would love 30 00:02:10,669 --> 00:02:13,770 Speaker 1: him with the kind of dedication and sacrifice that he 31 00:02:13,850 --> 00:02:34,660 Speaker 1: was soon to display today. and going to the cross 32 00:02:34,780 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: for us. He didn't want fair-weathered believers. He wanted loyal 33 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: followers who would be willing to give him their all. 34 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,830 Speaker 1: In light of this passage, I had to ask myself 35 00:02:45,910 --> 00:02:49,850 Speaker 1: a few hard questions. Am I loving Jesus more than 36 00:02:50,010 --> 00:02:54,650 Speaker 1: anyone or anything? Could I be following him more closely 37 00:02:54,830 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: than I am? Am I loving him as much today 38 00:02:58,750 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: as I did the day we met? I first decided 39 00:03:01,910 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: to follow Jesus as a very young child. I barely 40 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,299 Speaker 1: remember the actual day, but I remember recommitting my life 41 00:03:08,340 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: to him many times throughout my growing up years. Now 42 00:03:12,260 --> 00:03:15,540 Speaker 1: that I'm in my sixth decade of life, I have 43 00:03:15,620 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: long called myself a follower of Jesus. I have spent 44 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,340 Speaker 1: nearly a half century instructing others on how to follow him, 45 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: but how closely am I following? I must admit there 46 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,100 Speaker 1: are days my passion for him wanes. My obedience to 47 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,100 Speaker 1: Him seems not as important as the day before. My 48 00:03:34,139 --> 00:03:38,110 Speaker 1: heart follows harder after other loves, and I am convicted 49 00:03:38,210 --> 00:03:42,190 Speaker 1: all over again by those words of Jesus to His disciples. 50 00:03:43,130 --> 00:03:47,350 Speaker 1: Intersecting Faith and Life Other loves can so quickly steal 51 00:03:47,430 --> 00:03:51,330 Speaker 1: our hearts away, and sometimes our greatest love is for ourselves. 52 00:03:51,930 --> 00:03:57,230 Speaker 1: The world constantly teaches through social media reels, television shows, movies, 53 00:03:57,610 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: and ads to love yourself But Jesus said, deny yourself 54 00:04:02,540 --> 00:04:05,820 Speaker 1: and take up your cross or associate with his death 55 00:04:06,340 --> 00:04:10,330 Speaker 1: and follow him, not the desires of our own hearts. 56 00:04:11,070 --> 00:04:15,170 Speaker 1: The more I love myself, not him, the easier it 57 00:04:15,290 --> 00:04:18,630 Speaker 1: is for my first love, which should be Jesus, to 58 00:04:18,670 --> 00:04:22,150 Speaker 1: become my fourth, fifth, or sixth love, or worse yet, 59 00:04:22,250 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: somewhere further down the list. I never want Jesus to 60 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 1: say to me what he said to the church in 61 00:04:28,100 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: Revelation 2, But I have this against you. You have 62 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how 63 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: far you have fallen. Repent and do the works you 64 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,270 Speaker 1: did at first. When I wholeheartedly love the one who 65 00:04:48,290 --> 00:04:51,170 Speaker 1: made me, gave his life for me, and rose again 66 00:04:51,230 --> 00:04:54,110 Speaker 1: to redeem me and make me more like himself, I 67 00:04:54,170 --> 00:04:56,609 Speaker 1: can put myself on the shelf and Jesus on the 68 00:04:56,650 --> 00:05:00,270 Speaker 1: throne forever. and not worry about my self-esteem. I can 69 00:05:00,330 --> 00:05:03,370 Speaker 1: focus on esteeming Him, and when I love Him more 70 00:05:03,410 --> 00:05:07,510 Speaker 1: than any other, my priorities will be rightly ordered when 71 00:05:07,570 --> 00:05:10,710 Speaker 1: it comes to being a good spouse, parent, sibling, friend, 72 00:05:10,890 --> 00:05:14,850 Speaker 1: and neighbor. Lord Jesus, help me to love You more 73 00:05:14,890 --> 00:05:18,210 Speaker 1: than I do and to follow more closely after You. 74 00:05:18,950 --> 00:05:22,010 Speaker 1: On good days and bad, when I'm motivated and when 75 00:05:22,050 --> 00:05:25,990 Speaker 1: I'm not, in busy times and lean times, May you 76 00:05:26,070 --> 00:05:30,130 Speaker 1: be first and foremost in my heart. For further study, 77 00:05:30,190 --> 00:05:35,450 Speaker 1: see Matthew 22, verses 37 and 38. For daily encouragement 78 00:05:35,500 --> 00:05:39,780 Speaker 1: to love Jesus more, see my book, The New Loneliness Devotional, 79 00:05:39,779 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God. 80 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 81 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 2: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 82 00:05:52,420 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 2: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you follow 83 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 2: Your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get 84 00:05:59,740 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 2: a brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your 85 00:06:02,900 --> 00:06:06,550 Speaker 2: days begin in conversation with God. 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