More Than Life?

I'm truly at a loss for words at the moment. I came to work to an email from a long time friend that said his wife was leaving him for another man. They've been married for 21 years. Wow. They are both Christians. Wow. I'm sitting here now heartbroken for this family. Heartbroken for this man and his kids. Heartbroken for this woman who is being so obviously deceived. And yet here I am listening to a worship song called More than Life. "I love You more than life (Jesus), oh I love You more than life." How true is that really? How much do we love him more than our own life? really? Many of us may sit in judgment of this woman who cheated on her husband and children; "at least I'm not as bad as her! I can't believe she would do such a thing!" And yet how often have we loved our own life more than Jesus, more than the freedom and the new life He's given? That new life means dying to the old one and none of can say that we've done that 100% perfectly.

How easy it is to fall into the snare of the enemy. You're unhappy at home. Maybe work is consuming your husband. Your heart isn't seeking the fulfillment of Jesus like it should or isn't feeling fulfilled like you think it should. You're lonely. you're sad. you're hurting and there seems to be no one who understands or truly cares. You've given up yourself to gain all this... not too pleasant. Then in walks prince charming. In walks a gluttonous amount of food. In walks a shopping spree that maxes out your credit card. In walks pornography. In walks alcohol and or drugs. In walks cutting yourself. In walks gossip. In walks stealing. In walks anything that will soothe the soul for a time just to give you a little bit of peace. How easy it is to latch onto those things which are readily accessible instead of deny ourselves a momentary pleasure. How easy it is to sneak away to get your fix than it is to admit your weakness and your temptation and be faithful to the One who adores you and longs to lavish His love upon you.

Do we truly love Jesus more than life? Most of the time my guess would be no. We don't. If we did, what a different place our lives would be. If we did, we would know that regardless of how we FEEL, we must be obedient, not just for the sake of being obedient, but because it is for our best, it is for our protection, it is for the glory of the Lord and we obey because we are in love with Him and everything in us wants to please Him, not ourselves.

If you loved Him more than your life, what would that look like to you? What would you give to Him instead of continuing to fight Him on? What sin would you lay down that you know does not please Him? How much more would you have to be in love with Him than you are now? Do you love Him more than life?