The day my Mammaw died God gave me several verses and songs to help me.
These weren’t songs I had heard that day or verses I turned to in the Bible. He put them in my mind and in my heart.
I know they were from Him. They were clear. They were helpful.
But this one, I’ve struggled with.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even their own life–such a person cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26
Seems kind of harsh after just losing someone you love…
Yet, this is the verse that I remember Him giving me the most clearly.
And as days go by, I think it‘s likely to be the most helpful.
This verse isn’t about God wanting us to hate our loved ones. Throughout Scripture love is the central theme.
No, instead He’s making a point.
A point that we can’t miss.
When it comes to our relationship with God, it has to be at the top. Everything else is second.
And I struggle with this. I pray for my husband. My kids. My parents. I’m sometimes afraid I love them more than I love God.
But I feel like God is saying to me, “Here’s your chance…
How much do you really love Me?
Do you love Me more than you hate the death of your loved one?
Do you love Me enough to keep moving forward?
Do you love Me enough to praise Me for all the good things you still have?
Do you love Me enough to still find joy in the life I’ve given you?”
When I was looking up this verse, the cross reference was Matthew 10:37, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
We must continue to seek God’s plan for us even when we don’t think we can go on.
He doesn’t say your heart won’t be broken, but He says, “He is close to the broken-hearted.”
He knows you will have rough nights but He says, “though weeping may last for a night, joy comes in the morning.”
He’s knows some days it will hurt to breathe, but His Word tells us, “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
He knows certain memories or events might cause uncontrollable tears to fall but “those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.”
He knows your sorrow and your hurt because He was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.”
There’s nothing we’ve been through that He doesn’t understand.
And more importantly there’s nothing we will ever go through that He won’t be there to help us.
Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. Psalm 63:7
