I appreciate your comments. I like how you put it…It’s not about loving your wife, your kids, & your family any less. But, it is about loving God more!

We want all the perks of a godly father, but the life-changing commitment that comes with it is something I see several believers glossing over. It’s almost as if the perception is that once you accept Christ as your savior publicly, you check that item off your to-do list and go on living as you always have. That is not what Christ called us to do, and that is not an example of any kind of “love”.

The imagery Christ used in this passage of Luke perfectly paints this point, too. Imagine the thing you love most in the world; your kids, your wife, the security of a stable job, the comfort of a warm and inviting home. Then imagine loving Christ so much more than these things, to be so driven to seek his approval and make him proud of you, that by comparison you could only say you hate the worldly things you are so attached to by comparison.

I’ll be honest. I find this a very hard thing to even imagine, but like courting my wife and growing our deep love for each other slowly over time, passion for Christ grows in much the same way. I didn’t convert, as Paul did with a great flash of light that blinded me for days. I didn’t wake up one morning “counting my gains as loss”, but instead, I find myself understanding this depth of love for Christ a little more every day as I trust in him, study his word, and actively seek his direction for my life in prayer that acknowledges his goodness, confesses my failures, and asks for his help.

Stick with it, Mr. Silliman. You’re doing good work!

BH