If we make Jesus our everything, we don’t need ________. The challenge is that I say/think that I will do that, but I have plans, habits, and goals that get in the way. Consider praying:
“Father, show me what You want me to do.”
I work constantly to make that prayer a habit. But now I need to do what He wants me to do. My problem is, I forget that when I live God’s way, my joy increases. I lived for decades prioritizing pleasure, money, stuff, and worldly success. Consider praying:
“Father, remind me that my joy increases when I stop bad habits and start doing things Your way.”
Second, you can’t increase your pleasure with a bad habit. With a bad habit, you sometimes increase short-term pleasure, but always decrease long-term pleasure. The decrease of long-term pleasure is “always” greater than the increase in short-term pleasure. The decrease in your relationship with God is always greater than your tiny bit of short-term pleasure. When we choose the bad habit, we are just like Eve. It was so important to do things her way. Then disaster.
Third, to make Jesus your everything, spend a longer block of time in prayer. If your prayer runs dry quickly, repent. I prayed for quite a while this morning, then I tried to keep praying. I hit the wall. Why? God always asks the question: “Am I willing to change more for Him right now, today? Am I willing to try to be more in His will?”
I honestly don’t know what I am ready to do. So, I plan to pray the first prayer a bunch more times. I claim that I am willing to do God’s will. The Bible says that God will show us His will.
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV /Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
What if I say, “Father, my understanding of your will is weak, but please show me what to do, and I will try to do it.” What if I say, “I will try to do it right now, today, and this week.”
Obviously, He wants us to go to war with sin. Consider praying constantly:
“Father, keep me from temptation.”
Obviously, He wants us to increase in love. Consider praying:
“Father, help me to replace tempting thoughts with healthy thoughts, and fill me with Your love.”
Finally, to make Jesus your everything, fight to do these things over and over and over again.
Do we need to remind Jesus one thousand times that we want to do His will? Nope. We do these things over and over and over again to remind ourselves that this is what we want. We do them until we are actually ready to live the way He wants us to live.
Then we break through to freedom, purpose, and joy.
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