I long to live a life pleasing to Jesus. Not a plastic Christian life full of religious checklists and pretense. No, that would be hypocritical at best and deadening at worst.
I want to live completely with Jesus. Captured by His love. Enthralled with His teachings. Living proof of His truth.
There have been others who have gone before me who desired this as well. I find myself fascinated by the imperfect heros of faith who despite their shortcomings pleased God. But don't you find the sins those men and women a little unsettling at times? There is a part of me that wants them to be perfect so I can set some sort of standard in my life. Like a child gingerly making their way through the sand by placing their feet exactly in his mother's footprints. I want to find the hallmarks of their journey and follow in step.
But God never called me to follow them. Or to make my journey like theirs. It wasn't their perfect actions that carved a path to God's heart. It was something else. Something less defined that can't be outlined and disected. Something that was sometimes messy and offensive. But something that was so precious at the same time it caused God to pause.
Abandon.
That's what I believe it was. It's the same word to describe the little girl leaping from the bed's edge completely confident that her Daddy will catch her. It's the same thing that fueled David's courageous run toward Goliath with nothing but a sling and five smooth stones. And Joshua. And Moses. And Noah. And Paul.
"Everything I have. Everything I own. Everything I hope for. Everything I fear. Everything I love. Everything I dream. It's all yours Jesus. I trust you in complete and utter abandon."
It's the one thing that made the rich young ruler walk away in Luke 18. He asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life. A life of peace, assurance, joy despite circumstances and eternal security, "How do I get this?" he asked. "I follow the rules. I'm a good person."
Jesus was quick to reply, "You still lack one thing." Release. Let go of. Stop depending on. Cease striving for. Abandon. "Sell everything you have and follow me."
He stood on the edge of everything uncertain with the arms of all certainty waiting to catch him. And he just couldn't jump. He climbed off the bed. And lived his life entangeld in lesser things.
He was not captured by, enthralled with or living proof of the reality of Jesus.
God let this not be the tragedy of our lives.
Give me the courage to make my own path straight to your heart. That though it will not be perfect, I pray it is marked with that which makes you pause--- complete abandon to my will but utterly surrendered to yours.
I want to live completely with Jesus. Captured by His love. Enthralled with His teachings. Living proof of His truth.
There have been others who have gone before me who desired this as well. I find myself fascinated by the imperfect heros of faith who despite their shortcomings pleased God. But don't you find the sins those men and women a little unsettling at times? There is a part of me that wants them to be perfect so I can set some sort of standard in my life. Like a child gingerly making their way through the sand by placing their feet exactly in his mother's footprints. I want to find the hallmarks of their journey and follow in step.
But God never called me to follow them. Or to make my journey like theirs. It wasn't their perfect actions that carved a path to God's heart. It was something else. Something less defined that can't be outlined and disected. Something that was sometimes messy and offensive. But something that was so precious at the same time it caused God to pause.
Abandon.
That's what I believe it was. It's the same word to describe the little girl leaping from the bed's edge completely confident that her Daddy will catch her. It's the same thing that fueled David's courageous run toward Goliath with nothing but a sling and five smooth stones. And Joshua. And Moses. And Noah. And Paul.
"Everything I have. Everything I own. Everything I hope for. Everything I fear. Everything I love. Everything I dream. It's all yours Jesus. I trust you in complete and utter abandon."
It's the one thing that made the rich young ruler walk away in Luke 18. He asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life. A life of peace, assurance, joy despite circumstances and eternal security, "How do I get this?" he asked. "I follow the rules. I'm a good person."
Jesus was quick to reply, "You still lack one thing." Release. Let go of. Stop depending on. Cease striving for. Abandon. "Sell everything you have and follow me."
He stood on the edge of everything uncertain with the arms of all certainty waiting to catch him. And he just couldn't jump. He climbed off the bed. And lived his life entangeld in lesser things.
He was not captured by, enthralled with or living proof of the reality of Jesus.
God let this not be the tragedy of our lives.
Give me the courage to make my own path straight to your heart. That though it will not be perfect, I pray it is marked with that which makes you pause--- complete abandon to my will but utterly surrendered to yours.
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