“He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of Me.”
- Matthew 10:37
Matthew 10:37 can basically be boiled down to this: Never choose anyone or anything over Christ; if you do, you will not be found worthy of Christ and those special blessings which are only found in Him. We must seek first the kingdom (Matt. 6:33) and set our minds on things which are spiritual (Col. 3:1-2) above all else. Even though it may be hard, when we are faced with the choice of pleasing man or pleasing God, we must choose Him. As Christian women who are doing our best to be found worthy by our Savior, let’s take a moment to consider a few practical ways to apply Matthew 10:37 in our daily living.
1. Be Intentional With Our Time.
Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here; yes, God absolutely expects us to care for our children, spouses, and homes (Titus 2:4-5), but are we keeping our priorities in proper perspective? Are we willingly rearranging our schedules to make time to be present at our little ones’ ball games, family gatherings, and even date nights, but failing to make time for spiritual nourishment?
2. Don’t Sacrifice or Compromise the Truth As An Effort to “Protect” a Relationship.
Sure, it hurts to admit when our loved ones are in sin; as Christian women, that reality can bring us pain and sorrow. Yet, by compromising the word of God in such situations, not only are we showing our lack of love for God, but also, we are showing our lack of love for that individual’s soul and eternal destiny. Sin is a big deal; it put our Lord Jesus Christ on the cruel cross of Calvary and therefore, it’s not only okay to act like it’s a big deal, we ought to act like it’s a big deal. The Bible very plainly lays out how we are to confront those who are in sin (Matt. 18:15-18). We also need to keep in mind verses like Proverbs 27:5, which states, “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed,” and Galatians 6:1-3, which says,
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”
3. Remind Ourselves of the Differences Between Those Things That Are Temporary And Those That Are Eternal.
“So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.”