A Mother's Love

Many things can be said about it but few knows its depths.

It is made of deep devotion. It stays strong in the face of sacrifice and pain. It is patient and forgiving. And although her heart can break it remains firm in place. On many occasions, it defies all explanation with only to say, its "A mother's love". And yet it still remains.. A miracle.

A mother's love truly shows an unmatched degree and intensity for her children, family and others.

Love is passion. It is an intensity. It is at the very core of ourselves, an attachment to, or an intense feeling of deep affection to something.

It is a very honorable thing for this love to be shown toward her children, family and others. In today's world more than ever, a mothers love will keep the threads of the home from becoming too unraveled. It is a great example for us all to admire and respect.

When we don't love God first, we love everyone else less

But as great as this love is, when it is not given to God first, it will be misplaced. When we don't love God first, we love everyone and everything else less. It's kind of like building a house. You start with a foundation before you put up the walls. You don't start with the windows or shutters. The same thing applies to loving God.  He doesn't come fourth or fifth or even second.  His place is only first.  Love for him has to be secured at #1.

There is a terrific book called- The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis.

In the book, it describes a mother that had an incredible love for her son. But she lost him by an illness.  She grieved over the death of her son for over 10 years.  She kept his room exactly as it was when he died. She remained distressed about the loss of her son, Michael, until her own death. In fact, she is disappointed to learn that when she arrives at the entrance of heaven there to meet her is her brother and not her son. She refuses to accept entrance to Heaven without her son Michael. She emotionally refuses to listen and rants, "No one has the right to come between me and my son. Not even God. Tell Him that to his face. I want my boy, and I mean to have him. He is mine, do you understand? Mine, mine, mine for ever and ever" Despite any encouragement, she remains angry at God for taking him from her.  The past was all I had,” the woman says. Her brother replies, “It was all you chose to have.” 

She was so consumed with the love for her son that she would disregard the love for God. 

Love is good

Here we have something as simple as love for her son turned into something bad. Love is good. In fact, it's great. The bible even teaches that God just doesn't feel love for or toward us, its that HE IS LOVE.

But when our love ( an attachment to, or an intense feeling of deep affection to something.) is placed before our love for God, it becomes misplaced. It becomes a god to us.  

Colossians 1:17 reads- And HE is BEFORE all things, and by him all things consist.

Matthew 22:37 says, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
The Aramaic bible in translates it like this-
You shall love THE LORD JEHOVAH your God from all your heart and from all your soul and from all your power and from all your mind.
Notice it says, "from all your power".  Whatever is in you is what it means from all your power.  Your will, your choices.  If it falls within something that you control, direct it to God. He wants your whole heart and not just a part.  It's that simple.

It all starts there. Make a practice of loving God.

But how? How do you love any of the things that you currently love? You delight in them. You give your heart over to it. You choose it over other things and other people.

The heart war

There is a war waged everyday for your heart. 

This world and all its enticement will pull for your affections, it will fight for your attention.  James 1:14 says- But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).

Revelations 2:4 reads- But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Examine your heart.  Watch you motives.  Let your love rest exclusively on Jesus. Nothing should come before him.  If you sense that some things are out of place in the order of your heart, make it right.

Don't wait for another day to make HIM first.