How Do I Love Thee? 

More than My Kinfolks If we do love family more, we will allow them to keep us from obeying Gods gospel. I must not allow anyone to keep me from attending services. Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more … is not worthy of Me”. (Mattthew_10:37) Again Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God first” and the necessities will be provided (Matthew_6:33). I must love the Lord whole heartedly. 

More than Earthly Treasures. What is my soul worth? “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? What will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew_16:26. Indeed, what would you give when standing before God. The answer, no doubt is everything you possess. I must “forsake all others” and cleave to Him above everything or anyone else. 

More than Earthly Pleasures. If I love the Lord as I should, I will not allow anything to hinder me from my church attendance. Some use “the weekend” to spend time with their families or attend sports events or to travel. But, the question is, what is more important to me?  Many spend their money on hunting trips and equipment, fishing trips and equipment or other pleasurable excursions and have little or nothing for the Lord and His work. The story, about the widows mites, tells us where our priorities should be placed,  “Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given, for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." (Mark_12:41-44). The point made is, she made a sacrifice and it won’t go unnoticed or unrewarded. 

More than Approval of Others. This is often referred to as peer pressure. Young people and older people are subjected to this pressure. They feel pressured to do things they otherwise wouldn’t or to go places they otherwise wouldn’t have. gone. Often someone will ask another, “How do I look in this?” Approval means everything to them. What about God’s approval? Does His approval matter most to me? 

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” This familiar sonnet was written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning who lived from 1806-1861. It has a spiritual connotation for us, don’t you agree?

Bill Watkins