When I read this meditation from Our World and Welcome To It, I knew I had to blog it—just so I wouldn’t forget it:
But what does it mean to love Jesus more than yourself? …[h]ow would one really know that they love Jesus more than themselves? Do you love Jesus more than your spouse, for example?
…[O]ne way to check your love for Jesus is to think back to the last time you had this thought run through your mind:
"I really shouldn’t be saying [or doing] this."
Now, I’m not necessarily talking about a major sin, here (although it certainly applies to breaking any one of the Ten Commandments). What I’m really thinking about is the urge to say something nasty about somebody at work, or the desire for that extra piece of cake even though the doctor’s told us to try and watch our weight. Something more subtle, in other words. But it’s a perfect opportunity for us to ask ourselves the question "Is this a test of how much I love Jesus?"
…[I]n thinking of how to show our love for Jesus, particularly in wondering if we love Him more than we do ourselves, we should look at these small things as opportunities to prove to ourselves how much we love Him.
So let’s look at that little temptation we’re facing. Maybe it’s not a big deal, maybe it won’t hurt anyone, but I know it’s not the right thing to do. It’s unbecoming to me, it’s beneath my dignity. I may not have changed my mind about how I feel, I might even be justified under the circumstances, but I’m going to purposely refrain from doing it, even though I really want to do it, even though it will make me feel better – because I’m more interested in making Jesus feel better than I am myself.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I probably heard it at least five times today that I can remember, that little voice saying "I really shouldn’t be doing this, but…"
And I’ll hear it again tomorrow. Thanks for pointing out the opportunity.
bearing blog 