WHO IS YOUR FIRST LOVE? by Diane Solver

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

While praying, Daddy told me that He wants to be our first love. And I told Him that He is my first love. And He said, “No child, I am not your first love. If I am your first love, then you would put Me first in all circumstances. I would always be in your heart, mind and soul. If I am your first love, you would always choose to please Me than to please yourself or others.” And I was again convicted by His words and I asked for forgiveness and told Him that I want Him to be my first love. And I remember that He is indeed a jealous God.

Who is your first love? I thought to myself that I love Him already but Daddy said that He is still not my first love. Saying “I love you” to God and feeling the emotions of being “in love” with God is not enough to say that we love God. Everyone can say that they love God but not everyone can prove their love. Loving God isn't about loving Him with our mind. Loving God is not always about feelings or emotions that we feel. It is about on how we put Him first in our lives, our full submission and obedience to Him.

Is God your first? God wants to be our first. Many times, when we face difficult situations, we set aside GOD and we chose other things over Him. Many of us are willing to serve God as long as it doesn't cost us too much. We often put God at last. We often give God the crumbs or left overs of their lives.

People do not know that Daddy God doesn’t want our left over’s. We often give to God what’s left from us. In the Old Testament, God strictly told the Israelites that they should offer their first fruits of their crops, their live stocks or animals, or even their first born children to Him. If it is a lamb, it must be without blemish, it must be a beautiful perfect offering. God wants the firsts, the pure, and the best. Even though we are not required to bring sacrificial offerings for our sins, He still wants the best from us. It may be our time, our strength, our love, our obedience and anything that we can offer to serve and glorify Him. Daddy God will not ask for more than we can give. But He wants the best that we can give.

How can we say that God is our first love if we want first to watch our favorite football game or tv program during Sundays instead of going to church or praying to Him? How can we say that God is our first love if we want first to buy new clothes, shoes, or any material thing instead of giving tithes to church? How can we say that God is our first love when we are with other people we forget about Him and we do our old sinful habits to please our friends? How can we say that God is our first love if we want first to finish our favorite novels and other books than reading the bible? How can we say that we love God if we can’t love our neighbor as our self?

Our love for GOD must be even greater than our love for our father, mother, son or daughter. Our love for God must be greater than our love for ourselves. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Matthew 10:37

Peter says, “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.” To sanctify something means to set it apart from other things. Peter is telling us that God must be more important than anything or anyone else. We have to keep God as our focus, and more important than the things of this life. God wants to be our first love. God wants to be our number one. He wants us to remember Him in every situation. He wants to be consulted first and not to remember Him only at the worst moment of our problems. God zealously loves us with all His being & wants us to love Him this same way.

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26

Is there anything or anyone in our lives that we put over God? Does God occupy the first place in our life?

Who is your first love?

ALL GLORY TO GOD!

-Daddy’s girl