"Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 22:35-40
What are you passionate for? What, when you think about it, causes your enthusiasm to rise up - anticipation and excitement to stir in your heart. Those things that you hold most dear that you are willing to set all else aside for. Re-read the verses you may have just skimmed through and tell me what you think the right answer - the spiritually correct answer is. Yeah - its God first and then others. Now the rationalization starts. Am I suggesting that it is wrong to enjoy sports, or entertainment or being with the people you care about? Nope. What I am saying is that you can't love those things more than you love God if you are serious about your faith.
I don't know too many Christians who would admit to not being serious about their faith and love for God to themselves let alone to another Christian. The Bible speaks to the tension between the things of this world and the things of heaven. The things of this world contend for our devotion and appeal to our flesh - old nature. The Bible warns us about having a divided heart. Loving God more requires you to sacrifice your affection for the things of this world. Not to love like the world loves. Paul wrote -
"I beseech [urge/beg] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2
Why is denying yourself, picking up your cross and following Jesus' example reasonable? Because Jesus died on the cross so that we might live in an eternal relationship with the Father. So, we should not love like the world loves but allow the Spirit of God to renew our minds, our thinking, our doing that we can demonstrate to the world what is God's good and perfect will for mankind.
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." - 1 John 2:15-17
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