Me: What a pretty place to worship, and focus on God.

Prodigal: I believe worship helps us to remain focused on God.

How do you talk about what is hard to talk about? How do you discuss the tough issues with Christ. There were a couple of bible verses that haunted me. I just did not like the way that they sounded. How could the Lord who loved us put these in the bible.

I have a feeling that these verses are tough for others to read also. These verses are not quoted in your daily bible verse calendar. They are not in you christian journal at the bottom of the page. They are not on your coffee mugs, bible holders, and tote bags. They will not be the first 10 verses that you memorize.

No these verses are almost avoided. I am not one to avoid , and turn my eye. I like to figure it out. I like to try and understand. Even now today, I am not sure if I completely understand these verses, but over the years I think God has shown me some insight.

Matthew 10:37-39

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Is this verse trying to break the family apart, and make us unhappy? I thought maybe this was the case, and it confused me. That is not what God is saying here.

This verse is discussing something else entirely. I think this verse is really about idolatry. We do not really understand idolatry. Truth be told I probably have idolatry in my heart daily.

These verses warn about putting anything in top priority over the Lord. When we put something in first place with affections, and choices than it is idolatry. Idolatry will steal our joy , cause conflict around us.

When we look at the verse it says do not love son or daughter more than the Lord. How many conflicts and problems have you experienced in the past month with family that had to deal this. You are thinking none. Let me put it this way. Was their jealousy because someone in the family seems to be favored? Was their arguments over time spent with others, money spent and how decisions are made? Looking deeper were the real issues due to a jealousy. That person thinks another person is loved more. That person is afraid that they are not loved.

If God is priority, we have a tendency to then allow God to direct us in time spent, how decisions are made, and how money is spent. If someone questions us, and our decisions, we can honestly answer, the Lord has guided me. Conflict can easily be stopped when one person has put the priority correctly.

Looking back at my own life, I can clearly see this. Wanting approval, wanting control, or wanting the attention of others, I start moving God lower on my list. I start making decisions based on these people. I make decisions for their approval, and not God. I make decisions based on controlling the outcomes, and not God’s plan. I make decisions so I can have attention of others instead of the approval of God.

This at times will all point to one of those cross roads in your life. Putting God first means that he wants to to put mother, father, daughter, or son in second. They may not be happy with this decision. You may not be happy with this decision. It may seem like you are losing your life.

In a way you are. You are putting down your plan, and goals. You are agreeing completely to God’s plan, and goals. You will be misunderstood. Others will complain of the mess you are making. They may try to talk you out it.

What I have realized though is trusting God, and putting Him first always results in peace. In also requires that your faith is exercised by action, and not just words.

This is not the world’s message today. This may run against all logic. This may also seem like a dead end to you. When we pick up our cross, and walk toward the Lord. We keep people not between us, and the Lord but behind us. We will then be caring our cross. We will make sure that our view of who the Lord is, and our relationship is not blocked by the view of another person. We will clearly see the Lord before us, and from that view we can turn around, and see truth in our relationships with others.

The question to ask yourself now, is when you look upon the cross, what do you see? Is there anything blocking your view, no matter how big or small. The second question is are you going to move it? We are not called to complete this task alone. As we call on the Lord, He will also help you carry this cross. He has already had practice.

Luke 14:33

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org