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Do You Love Me More Than These?

Writer's picture: Sista MercieSista Mercie

The Worship Concert 2014
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." John 21:15 (New International Version)

After Jesus posed this question to Peter three consecutive times when they had just had dinner together, he got upset. Why did Jesus prod him so, did he not know all things? Surely he knew his heart. Did he not trust his (Peter’s) heart, and his double declaration of love? The questions were not even rhetorical for each time, Christ waited for Peter’s response before he went on.


Jesus knew what was in Peter’s heart but Peter needed to know what was in his own heart. Like you also need to know right now what is in your heart. You may consider yourself a great lover of God and his kingdom and if Jesus asks you right now if you love him more than ‘these’ (‘these’ referring to anything other than Him. Anything. Pizza, children, a car, a good job, a faithful wife, a healthy body and so forth), you may readily respond ‘Of course Lord, you know I love you more than these’.


Pause and think through this for a minute: do you in your daily living prove that you love God more than life, more than money, your career, your children, your spouse, your spiritual gifts, your accomplishments, etc.? Would you give up any of your most prized possessions or attributes for the sake of the kingdom of heaven? If your sight, speech or beauty is taken away suddenly from you will you still have the love of and for God in your heart? Will your life stand still or backslide if something you consider dear is removed? Will Jesus mean more than ‘these’?


It is easy to sing a worship song and say your life is not your own…Jesus is the reason you live…He is the air you breathe…you cannot live without him…and all, but when you are trapped between two walls and you lose a part of your body and your prayers are not answered and your spouse is misbehaving and your money is acting funny and God seems far away and you are feeling all alone and left out in a fast paced world or maybe it’s the whole world crashing down on you….then from the recesses of your heart, will your God or idols surface.


There are certain things- uncomfortable situations, very trying times, unpalatable experiences- you may go through at some points in your life’s journey. Things you never expect God would allow a believer to suffer. When you meet these things, beneath the noise, the anguish and the lessons learnt, you may just hear the voice of the Lord asking you a third time, ‘My child, do you still love me more than these?’


- Sista Mercie


#QuestionsOfConscience

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