Loyalty to Whom?

Digging into Sunday's text today a little further than last night’s staff meeting …. I find what this text (Matthew 10:34-42) is most about is Loyalty. Who are you loyal too? Jesus asks us for us to be loyal to Him, above all. The earlier text talks about a Jesus we often do not want to see, we love all the cushy-comfy stuff that he talks about, but what are these words? I have come with a sword!?
Hey - What happened to ‘my’ prince of peace (cushy/comfy/warm fuzzy peace)? What is true peace? One that comes at all cost. Jesus said that He will stop at nothing for us to be at peace with His Father, to be His brother, to live as His very own here on earth and later on in eternity. No cost was too high for this mighty warrior, not even His very life. And He continues to relentlessly pursue us to ‘this life of peace.’

I don’t know about you, but that is a leader I want to follow … to lay down my life for, my cares, my concerns yes, but my deepest wants and my desires as well. Surrendering it all to this Prince (no wimp here) of Peace. Loyal above all else, even family.

So do we blow off our family or consider them unimportant? No! If you are truly loyal to Jesus, He asks two things of you. Love Me, Love others. That’s it. New commandment to live by. In everything, not just where and how you want to live this life, but the where of where He takes you (even the uncomfortable suffering places). If you are loyal to Jesus, His Holy Spirit will cause you/bend you towards being more faithful and loving to your family (as you let Him of course), because that kind of love flows straight from the heart of Jesus, through You, to others… and yet, yes, you will not place them above Jesus.

Perhaps, these are lessons from Jesus are not easy to wrap your head around. So, take it as a challenge and something to hmmmm about … I pray you do just that as you ready yourself for worship leadership this Sunday, because you cannot effectively take others where you have not first been yourself.