When I was in elementary school I had many notes passed to me by my fellow students. These notes sought out crucial relational information. They said things like, “Do you like me? Check the box yes or no.” “Who are the three cutest girls in the class. List in order below.” Then there was the most serious kind of note — the love note questionnaire. It invariably inquired: “Who do you love the most?” There would either be a list of 3 or 4 names from which to select or there would be a blank line on which you could scribble the name of your choice. The greatest thing in the world was discovering (or being shown by an accomplice) that your name was selected at the top of the list. Likewise, there was nothing more crushing, no matter how much you denied it, than finding yourself rejected.
God asks each of us a variation of the same question. He doesn’t ask it in a juvenile or needy way. But he does ask: “Among all the options you have in this world for your affection and allegiance, who or what do you love the most?”
God’s great desire is that each one of us would live in an intimate love relationship with him. He longs that you would select him from the list of all the options that exist. He desires that you would write Jesus’ name on the blank line. As Rick Warren says in his book What On Earth Am I Here For?, “God made you to love you, and he longs for you to love him back.” But there are many other “lovers” in this world from which we can choose. The Living God is only one among many options. The world itself competes with God for your allegiance and alliance. The apostle John warns, “Don’t love the world’s ways. don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father,” (1 John 2:15 The Message).
Today I pass a note to you in the form of this blog. I urge you to make your choice. Choose to love the Lord above all other options. And then make your selection known by living in such a way that your love for God is easy for everyone to see.
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