do you love me?

     When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"
     "Yes Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
     Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." (John 21:15)

The resurrected Jesus gets right to the point.  He asks us the very same question he asked Simon Peter: "Do you love me more than these?"  It is the question of the entire spiritual life.  Do we love him more than these?  Do we love him more than our families?  Do we love him more than our friends?  Do we love him more than our careers?  Do we love him more than our very selves?  For until we love him, above and before all else, we cannot possibly do the work he has given us to do--feed his lambs.  For if we do not love Jesus first and foremost, we cannot possibly feed his lambs, we can only feed on his lambs.

Lord Jesus, help me to love you before all else today.  For only then can I truly love others the way you want me to--fully and freely.