Thought for the day: Who do you love more God, or yourself? It really does matter.

I have come to appreciate that we each have 4 main types of love competing inside us: Love of Yourself, Love of the World, Love of God, and Love of our neighbor. The sooner we get them sorted out and into the right priority order, the better for ourselves and those around us.

Love of yourself is your self-centered focus on “ME”: what I look like, what I can do, what I have accomplished, what others think of me, how I compare to them. You need a level of self-awareness and self-confidence to function effectively, but If this love is driving your life, you end up focused on doing things to make yourself look good compared to others, at least in your own mind.

Love of the world is focused on your experience in this earthly world: physical pleasures, amassing wealth, collecting fancy possessions, etc.. If this love is driving your life, you end up with a bunch of “stuff” you can’t take with you when you die, or running the rat race to get ahead or stay ahead, often at the expense of others.

Love of God is recognizing His love and His truth, Recognizing His Creation, The Bible, His son, The gospel (The Fall, His virgin birth, sinless life, innocent death, resurrection, ascension, redemption, and salvation). You commit to live your life worthy of the price He paid for it; Looking forward to Him telling you He is proud of you when your time comes to stand before Him.

Love of your neighbor is treating everyone in the world with love and respect. Because God loves you, and you love God, you love all his children; You see them as His creations struggling to live in a fallen world, and you help them in any way you can with your gifts and resources.

As an exercise, go through an inventory of what you do during your typical day/week and ask yourself why you really do those things. If answers comes back “for Me” rather than “for God” then challenge yourself. For each “for ME” item, can you connect it to something useful you are doing for God and His kingdom? Ex: I am exercising 3x per week. Why? Is it so I look really good? Or is it so I am fit enough to continue doing things for others. If you can’t connect the dots to God with each of your activities, you have some opportunities to improve. There is a big difference in the root of our motivation if you can connect the dots, and it all starts in how you think; Change your thinking and you will change your being.

My prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me and never giving up on me. I thank you for sending us the Word, first in written form, and then in the flesh. I Thank you for releasing the Holy Spirit as a teacher and guide. I thank you for helping me understand our self-centered human nature and your intention for us to transform by renewing our minds. I thank you for helping me sort out my life; I love you, and I am committed to living a life worthy of the price Jesus paid. I thank you for continuing to help me root out any selfish self-centered agendas that are still at work. It is my intention for your love to flow through me to others unimpeded by any selfish agendas. I pray all your children develop eyes to see things from your higher perspective, may they develop ears to hear your word and learn to apply it to their lives and their specific situations, may they develop hearts receptive to your love and to seeing all others as your creations worthy of their respect and love. May they get their loves into the proper order so that You and Your kingdom of first, as you commanded. I ask this in Jesus’ Holy name. AMEN

Supporting scripture 

The greatest commandments are to Love the Lord and our neighbors above all

“’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39)

To do that we need to get our own self-interest out of the way

“For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Galatians 6:3) 

^“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” (James 3:16)

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24 )

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)

We need to focus on Him and His Kingdom rather than the things of this world.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16)

We are to live a life worthy of the price He paid

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men (or this world).(1 Corinthians 7:23)

“I beseech you therefore… present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.(Romans 12:1)

Transform by the renewal of your mind:

“…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”(Romans 12:2)

The ultimate goal is to get your “ME” out of the way and let Christ and His love live through you

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Hope this helps