Today's question is from a listener named Emma, who is in love.

Hello, Tony and Pastor John.

Thank you so much for your ministry.

It is truly a blessing to me and so many others.

I am currently in a serious relationship with a man who loves Christ and encourages me

as I follow Christ.

But as our affection for one another continues to grow, how can I make sure that I am loving

God more than I love him?

What exactly would it look like to be putting my boyfriend above God?

And is there something like this I can expect to face in marriage to Pastor John?

What would you say to Emma?

You know, what I really want to do is to read to Emma a poem that I wrote for one of my

sons when he was getting married to a poem about this very question called, love her

more and love her less.

So let me give a brief answer and then I am going to close with just a part of that

poem because sometimes I think poetry can unfold a mystery of emotion that a straightforward

APJ answer might not.

With regard to that last question, is there something like this in marriage to the answers

yes and not only in marriage, but it's possible to love children more than God.

Health more than God, reputation more than God, friendship more than God, comfort more

than God, security more than God.

In other words, the question you're asking about the boyfriend is a question all of us

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