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
“If we love our friend, we love his company; his presence is comfortable, his absence is painful; when he comes to us, we entertain him with gladness; when he dies, we mourn, and usually over-mourn. To be separated from a faithful friend, is like the rending of a member from our body. And would not our desires after God be such, if we really loved him? Nay, should it not be much more than such, as he is, above all friends, most lovely?
May the Lord teach us to look closely to our hearts, and take heed of self-deceit in this point!
Whatever we pretend, if we love either father, mother, husband, wife, child, friend, wealth, or life itself, more than Christ, we are yet “none of his” sincere “disciples.” When it comes to the trial, the question will not be, Who hath preached most, or heard most, or talked most? but, who hath loved most? Christ will not take sermons, prayers, fastings; no, nor the “giving our goods,” nor the “burning our bodies,” instead of love.”
Richard Baxter (1615-1691) in The Saints’ Everlasting Rest (Grand Rapids: CCEL), Excerpt from Ch. 7 “The Necessity of Diligently Seeking the Saints Rest, 117.
What do you love most? Be careful how you answer the question. Baxter would say that your actions reveal your answer. Look closely at your heart and take heed of self-deceit.
God’s desire is not that we be known for our hate of those closest to us. He wants us to love Him more than the people we love most dearly on earth. When we do it actually enhances our love for these people.
But we can’t put them first. It’s something we learn as we give, pray, and fast. We learn to attach first and foremost in love to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As we practice the giving of goods, prayer, and fasting this Lent, let’s keep the goal of these practices in view. They aim to deepen our love relationship with Christ.
Any other purpose emerges as simply a waste of time and needless sacrifice. God does not need our money, prayers, or fasts. We need to share money, pray, and set aside our desires.
When we do these things it draws our hearts closer to Him.