jesus, voters, and religion: the real change

"How do you know if you really love Jesus?"

"I'll tell you," he said, "the one and only way I know how to tell if you really love Jesus. It's when Jesus takes precedence over everything else. When Jesus comes before family, money, friends, jobs, success, power, politics...When He comes first and transforms all those other things, that's when you know that you really love Jesus."

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The day I left a broken marriage and became a "divorced woman", Jesus took precedence. I had chosen my own way at 18 and knew at the age of nineteen, married to an abusive cheater, that that couldn't be what my life was intended for. I walked away from the "sacred bond of marriage" because Jesus took precedence.

I got remarried after knowing Alex for less than one year, because Jesus took precedence. Most of our conversations dealt with what we believed God had called us to, how we wanted to show the world who Jesus was, and somehow, in the midst of all that, we fell in love. We got married because Jesus took precedence.

We walked away from searching for a ministry job because Jesus took precedence. Alex looked and looked, and we prayed and prayed, and even though some thought we weren't looking or trying hard enough, Jesus was taking precedence. Rather than forcing ourselves into a set of doors, we sought God's lead; we knew He wasn't calling us there. Jesus was taking precedence.

There was a set of days and weeks where I wanted to leave again. Not because he was being abusive or finding new girlfriends, not at all, but because I didn't have the answers, I didn't have the ability to see any happiness or greatness in our lives, I thought for sure I had been wrong. But then, Jesus took precedence. He said, "Trust me, wait on me, seek me, because I've got you, Daughter." I stayed because Jesus took precedence.

I quit my job last week and I quit the job before that one 6 months ago, because Jesus took precedence. Sure, I wasn't happy or thriving, but we need/needed the income and I'm capable of working, so I should be, right? But Jesus took precedence.

I enrolled in school, turned down a meeting, quit going to that place, stopped a couple of relationships, because Jesus takes precedence.

Did you catch the number of views on that? Over 22 million...


9 days out of 10, I don't qualify and meet the standards to be religious or follow religious groups. Honestly, I hope to not qualify 10 days out of 10. I LOVE my church. The above question and answer came from my very church this morning. But, so did this video. We jive so well with this church because what takes precedence for them is loving Jesus.

Jesus is not my religion, it is who I am. Christianity is not my religion, it's who I am. Believing in God as my Creator, is not my religion. It’s who I am. Rather than using a bunch of religions, all with different agendas and traditions, to “change” the world, we really ought to be looking to Jesus who already did that. He changed it, for the better, and only asked the we follow Him.