Do We Love Jesus More than These? 

Our daughter-in-law recently posted a video of our two-year-old grandson sitting at the table eating applesauce while at the same time singing “Jesus Loves Me”. He would sing a word or two of that song, then shovel in another spoonful of his well-loved treat. He would go back to sing another phrase but interrupt himself with another bite of the delicious food. He kept going back and forth throughout the whole song. He seemed to be torn between his love for Jesus and his desire for applesauce, cutely choosing to try to enjoy them both at the same time.

Such actions are adorable in a toddler. I am thankful that he likes to sing about Jesus to the point that it would even rank up there at the same level with his beloved applesauce. However, his innocent actions can serve as a reminder to us adults to be careful about allowing other things to compete with our affections for the Lord. On the one hand, it is wonderful if we know the Lord, love Him, and are seeking to please Him. That is a very positive quality that shouldn’t be downplayed at all. In a day when many have little or no devotion toward Jesus, and some are downright hostile toward Him and what He represents, it is encouraging and commendable to see those individuals who exhibit a love for Jesus.

However, Jesus Himself calls us to go beyond simply allowing Him to be one of the many loves of our lives. He insists on being first. He lays claim to being number one on our list. We are to love Him first and above everything else. In light of His great love for us, it is only right. Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). We can have other loves in our lives. We should dearly love our spouses, parents, children, and others. There are even “things” and activities in our lives for which we can have great affection. While my grandson loves his applesauce, the treat I probably love the most is ice cream. Likewise, we can love our sports, our hobbies, and other aspects of this world God has given us to enjoy.

However, the key question we need to face is the one with which Jesus confronted Peter after His resurrection. It may have been in a little different context, but it can still apply to us. “Do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15). Does our affection for Jesus rise above everything else in our lives? It can be easy to answer that question with a quick affirmative based on what we feel in our hearts. But do our actions back up that sentiment? Are we putting some of these other loves in our lives ahead of Jesus? Do we allow our pursuit of those other things to get in the way of our pursuing to know Jesus better and to serve Him as He calls us to do? Do we just squeeze in a few worship songs expressing our love for Jesus on Sunday mornings, while spending most of the rest of our time and energy indulging in all these other aspects of life that hold our affections? The question may not be “Do we love Jesus?” We certainly do. But maybe we need to ask, “Do we love Him more than these?” 

  What is it that competes with your love for Jesus? Whether it is applesauce, ice cream, your favorite sport, your family, or yourself, let’s make sure that our love for Jesus supersedes all other loves in our lives. Let’s love Him more than anything.