Jesus Only

I started this blog to share a little glimpse into the heart of my spiritual journey, in hopes that someone who read it might be encouraged or learn something useful. It's also a good way to chronicle the journey, so I can look back later and remember. But, actually, the main reason I started writing was because Jesus asked me to. He indicated that He wanted to do something really cool in my life, and sharing that with others was a way to bring glory to His Name. 

  But it's often hard, and my weakness is ever before me. The words never seem good enough, the thoughts never complete enough, I can never really seem to succeed. The process God is taking me through certainly has some high moments, but often it feels slow and painful. But, oh how I've grown! It's probably not easily detected by others, but God is indeed doing a mighty work in me, with still much more to do. He's given me a little more clarity, recently, as to what He's doing and I just wanted to share.

  I've been reading about this thing called radical surrender (also called true Love). The concept of surrender is nothing new to a Christian, but is it really possible? What does it really mean to give everything, EVERYTHING, over to Jesus? I wrote recently about the battle with self. Self absolutely must die before Jesus can take over. And He must have all of us, every single little bit. Make no mistake, this is an arduous process. It's something that must be done daily, but I also believe there is a first step of total surrender, the radical kind that goes against what the world says is "balanced". And it's precisely this that I have been praying and longing for: a relationship with Jesus so close that it's like you're one. Jesus reminded me that He is answering my prayer, it's just taking longer than I would like.

   First of all, Jesus has to get you to a place where you are ready to receive this incredible gift. And we can't do it ourselves. No effort on our part, no matter how sincere, can make this change in us. The only thing we can do is determine (choose) to serve Jesus. And even if we can't yet be willing to make that full surrender, we can be willing to be made willing. Then Jesus can do His glorious work of restoration in us. Ellen White says that "When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him; and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten" (Steps to Christ p. 31). Jesus has been showing me that I've been letting lots of things distract me. Not necessarily bad things, but distractions none the less. I want to put everything else aside and pour all my energies into making Jesus first, last, best, and only in my life. The other stuff will come, but my goal, my focus, my reason for living HAS to be Jesus only.

  I've still got a ways to go, but I just needed to stop and remind myself where I'm going and what I'm doing, and what is most important. I've learned that having Jesus as a friend, walking right beside me on the journey, makes all the difference in the world. It is Him and Him alone that makes it all worth it. There  certainly is joy in the journey, but the greatest rewards are yet to come, and once we get to experience them, I believe we will all agree that "heaven is cheap enough, at any price".

"let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. "(Hebrews 12:1, 2 NIV)