The World of Grandpa Don

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This is always a difficult question because there are so many things claiming the first position. I am not considering here the outcome of a race or athletic event. I am not dealing with who is best at something or who has more authority. I am talking about our own personal choices in life. What has prime importance in our life? Where does God fit in?

You could say that it is a matter of priorities. We chose to view things in relation to how important they are in our lives. Here and now survival usually claims the top position. But, survival of what? Or who? And what does survival mean? 

Again, these have different answers for different people and at different times in their lives. We usually put family first. Some of course are very selfish, abuse their spouses and children or are criminals. But let us only consider the  "normal", "good" family.

We love our spouse more than anything and would do anything for him or her. We love our children and will give our lives to protect them. 

Placing family first is considered noble and sometimes self-sacrificing. Nothing is more important and unfortunately, sometimes this leaves God out in the cold. 

How can we put ANYTHING ahead of family? We feel that things need to be prioritized and while we are here on earth, it is our obligation to love and provide for family. To put God first would be to place spouse and family in a secondary position, saying that they are not (as) important. We our prioritizing our love just as we place priorities on everything else.

However, there is something strange about love. Let's look at it. In the English language, "love" has several meanings. In the language of the Bible three different words were used. "Eros" was used to name sexual love. "Philia" was used to describe affection. But, when speaking of God's love the word used was "agape". Agape is the love that is unconditional and without limits. Eros is temporal to the extreme. Affections fade. God's love is constant and boundless. It, like God, is infinite. When given, it multiplies. 

C. S. Lewis said it well in a letter he wrote. When we place God first we do not love our husband, wife, or children less. God's love, multiplies our love. We share in his agape and extend it to our loved ones so that we love them far more than we could have without it. God is Love and as we become more like Christ our love overflows to others. Those we love on earth are flooded with love, a love that we could not have imagined possible. 

"When first things are put first, 
second things are not suppressed but increased." - C. S. Lewis

Don Plefka
03/31/03

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