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 [Matthew 10:37]

Hang on a minute Jesus, this is a bit full on, this seems a bit harsh. Surely you didn’t get that right. Or maybe He did.

This can be a struggle. God first, family after. I think sometimes I get this the wrong way round. Maybe we all have. At times we let the kids rule us. At time we have allowed family to lead our life.

Yet here it is – God first, others next. It’s not that we don’t care for our family. It’s not that we don’t spend time with them. It’s not that we don’t love them.

Perhaps it’s more about not letting anything or anyone else for that matter get in the way of our relationship with God.

Perhaps it’s more about intentionally not making it about ourselves and putting our needs first and then trying to convince God that our way is best.

Perhaps it’s more about making difficult choices in regard to the importance of our faith even when those closest to us don’t always understand it.

Perhaps it’s more about trusting God that when we live like this, when we carry our cross, when it seems like we may be losing some of life, we see that really we are gaining it. To echo the words of Jesus after He said that first challenging sentence…

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [Matthew 10:39]

It definitely tough but here’s to finding life, and apologies family but for me, it’s Jesus first, everything else second. Just my thoughts and my daily choice as I walk with God to put Him first.