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He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. - Matthew 10:37
Years ago I met a woman who told me that her husband turned away from God because the Lord did not heal his aunt and she died. This reminds me of Jesus’ statement that if we love anyone more than Him, we are not worthy of Him.
Jesus suffered and died for us, not only to remove and forgive us of our sins; but to also help us to overcome whatever happens to us in this life though Him. We can live everyday looking forward to a joyful eternal life when our souls are eventually released from the cocoon of our mortal flesh.
Jesus is the only hope of our salvation. No matter how much we love our relatives and friends, none of them can love us more than God. The magnificent sacrifice that purchased our salvation is our greatest treasure.
Any passion we harbor for anyone or anything that we place above the tremendous gift of our salvation, makes us unworthy of it and the One who gives it.
If we suffer a loss in this life that causes us to turn away from Him, then we have been tested and failed.
Some people look at all the suffering in the world and reject God, because in their limited vision they have failed to see the bad things that happen with an eternal perspective. They complain, “Why does God allow all these bad things happen to good people?” And they stomp off into the darkness of their own choosing.
They fail to recognize that there is a devil, and the devil hates good people. He hates all people. They also refuse to understand that it is through mankind’s own sin and rebellion against God that has allowed all these bad things to enter the world in the first place, and enables them to continue. In other words, it’s not His fault, it is our own.
Sin perpetuates sin and its consequences. Innocent people can suffer as a result. God intervenes through prayer according to His will. And if it is His will in some cases for evil to continue, faith is there to assure us that the eventual outcome is contained securely within God’s hands.
Evil must come to its fullness so that God can destroy it (Genesis 15:16). Sometimes lives must be catapulted into darkness before they can become desperate enough to seek for the eternal Light of God.
God’s word promises that someday there will be an end to all the suffering we see around us. The fulfillment of this promise is something we can look forward to, cleave to and be as a life raft upon the world’s stormy turmoil. We have a hope and a future no matter what happens to us in this life.
We have been given the gift of hope and eternal life through Jesus’ sacrifice for us. He never promised us a pain free journey to our future inheritance. He said we would have tribulation in this life, but we also have His promise that He would be with us until the end.
When we consider the enormity of His sacrifice and the gift we have been given, If we love anything or anyone more than Him, truly, we are not worthy of Him. And if we love Him more than anything or any person, then we have everything.
Faith enables us to stand on a mountain with Jesus, overlooking all the wars, murders, turmoil and pain to see another horizon of life, beauty and eternity. Keep your eyes focused on that horizon and the One who gives it to you, children. He is waiting there for you with open arms.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
… and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:20).
Copyright 2022 by H. D. Shively
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