Love Priorities

Before the season ends, let me share something about love. :)

Recently I’ve heard a pastor preached about this topic. Although every time he preached, I’m disturbed by what he preaches, perhaps because at some point, I don’t agree with some of his points. One of his messages talked about this “Love Priorities” and I think one of his text verses are from Matthew 22:34-40. From what I get and what I don’t agree with him, is plainly stating that there are three main love priorities one Christian must remember, when I believe there are only two, stated from the verse itself. His points are: First, one whom we should love first is God, which I agree with. Second priority would be God’s representatives, which I kind a find difficult to see or understand. Then third priority is God’s people. Whereas, what I believe is simply first: God as our main Love of our life as Christians. Secondly is: Others, loving them the way we love ourselves. That’s the bottom line. Period.

How he defines God’s Representatives are those who are in authority over us; parents, teachers, pastors, presidents, etc. I do understand that we all should love these people, but to rate and to measure one’s love over another seems absurd to me. Or to choose them over someone who is lower in rank seems really ridiculous. I believe its non-sense in the Christian realm and God’s Principles. One of the arguments made me really think is when he placed a situation where your mother and your son is at a life-death situation wherein you must choose between the two. He pointed out that the mother should be the first one to be prioritized rather than the child, because the mother is God’s representative. Hmmmm??? Really made me debate within my own mind from all the things I’ve learned, it doesn’t make sense. If I am wrong then perhaps it’s best to give me more Biblical insights ‘cause I remember some verses that would go against the principle.

As I have said from the verse Matthew 22:34-40, there is only two points or say two Love priorities. First: God. Second: others. That’s it, no additional or subtraction. I believe the problem here is, how do we define LOVE. The first point, loving God is definitely one hard thing to do amongst us Christians. For our love can never be compared to the way God loves. God’s love is unconditional, while we love conditionally. We may love unconditionally but that kind of love mostly comes from God. Or I mean its source comes from God Himself, because God is love. Sometimes how we show our love to God seems to be impossible. Definitely it is. How can we love Someone like God. From I Corinthians 13, we find some products or fruits of love or manifestations of what we call love. But if we place God as an object of our love, it makes a different situation. The question “How do we become kind to God?” or “How can we be patient to Him?” Seemingly human as we are it’s hard to imagine putting the object of our love would be “God”. But still we are commanded by God to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And how do we do this? John 14:15

John 14:15 (King James Version)
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Obedience is the only way by which we can really show our love to God.

Second point: Loving others. Loving others is more probably a possibility to be applied and can be manifested. But perhaps the manifestation of this differs and may vary according to our own conditional thinking and feelings, ruled by our own will and decisions. But to love unconditionally, like our God is something extra ordinary or perhaps divine.

I would like to site the story of Hosea, who loved a woman who is known to be a prostitute. God commanded Hosea to love this woman, according to how God loves Israel at their times. But the real hardest thing to do is to love even if the other has betrayed that love. The wife of Hosea went back to her old ways but God said to Hosea to love her back. And so Hosea did and took her back with a price. That’s the picture of God’s love. And indeed God’s love prevailed even with Israel turning back on their God. God also judged Israel and gave Israel punishments but still He is willing to love them again.

Hosea 3:1
[ Hosea's Reconciliation With His Wife ] The LORD said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes."

Now this kind of love is definitely rare and perhaps not commonly found amongst Christians today. This kind of love doesn’t look at the rating if you are to be loved or not; whether you are at highest position or not; or you are older or younger; But simply you love, the way God loves. I believe, rating who should be loved first amongst others, is not the kind of love God is teaching us or showing us, for love gives, even if it means giving your own life. So the question if placed in a situation where you need to choose between your mother and child? Hopefully God would not let me be in the kind of situation. But if I’m really been placed in such? Perhaps it will depend on the wisdom God gives me.