Do I have to Choose?

I pray you are doing well and having a great week. As you sit down and take a few moments for yourself, be sure you make some time to READ and/or LISTEN to today's reading.

Usually when we hear of fire in scripture we initially think of hell, or at least I do. Then when you pause and reflect of the various ways God reveals himself in scripture through fire, we see that fire has great meaning. Jesus starts us off today saying he is here to set the world on fire! In this crazy political time, many of us probably wish he would do just that!

In scripture we read that the people were looking for Jesus to come and be a certain kind of ruler to save the people, yet we learn and know He came in peace. Well, today he tells us he didn't come to bring peace to this earth but will be a source of division. Division among friends and households!

This passage is a tough one for me to swallow for sure! We must be put to the test and brought through fire to be purified. We will have choices to make that will be difficult. Nothing that matters ever comes easy!

There will be times we must choose. We must choose to be obedient to Jesus and follow His lead, or listen to the World. We will sometimes have to literally choose between what Jesus has for us and what family and friends want for and from us. Sometimes the cost of following Jesus means that we will lose friends, that we will even lose family!

We can't have things both ways. We are either for Jesus or against him, there is no in between!

Jesus over exaggerates this idea of mother against daughter and and father against son for us because He is making a point. We need to examine our heart. When it comes down to it, who do we love more? Do you love Jesus or your spouse more? Do you love Jesus or your child more? Do you put Christ first in your life, or everyone else?

God wants us to be set on fire for Him! He wants us to be so filled with His love and the Holy Spirit that they can not be contained!

Where do you stand? Are you for God or Against? When push comes to shove, who do you choose? This is why it is so important to me to share my faith and to be sure I am sharing it with family and friends!

This isn't easy stuff, but the rewards are eternal!