Published: May 04, 2008 01:52 am         

Always put God first

Apparently So column

PALESTINE, Texas — “How do you know you love God more than you love me?” This is the question my son asked me the other night. I can see why he would ask such a question. How do we know we love God, who is unseen? How can we say we love him more than those who are right next to us? How can we say we love God more than our family members?

“Well,” I said, “I know I love God the most because of the decisions I make every day. I show God I love him by the way I treat you and your mom and sister.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” he said. He was satisfied with the answer and we moved on to the next topic.

David may not have thought again about his question, but I have pondered it. One interesting thing about it is that David was perfectly content with the thought that I love God more than him. There is no jealousy about this. He has learned that if I love God the most, I will treat him the best I possibly can. I will be fair, just, kind, sympathetic, encouraging, and interested in his life when I put God first.

I heard someone say one time that if your spouse doesn't put God first, you won't come in even a close second. I think in general, a person either puts himself or God first. If he loves himself most, his decisions will reflect this; if he puts God first, this too will be born out in his actions. David has learned that if his dad will give God first place in his life, he will treat the family so much better.

I think it is also true that the more we love God, the more we will show it by the way we treat others. In the Bible, John said, “If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20). Scripturally, it is impossible to love God if we do not love one another. And the more we love God, the more we will love each other. We can know we love God because of our actions, decisions and love for one another. The best gift we can give our family members is to love God more than them.



————

Craig Harris is the pastor of Montalba Christian Church and a mortgage loan officer for Capital Mortgage. Contact him at LCRAIGHARRIS@EMBARQMAIL.COM