That "One Thing"

I don't know what that one thing in your life is that you want super badly.
I don't know what distracts you from focusing on God- because you can't stop thinking what your life would be like if you had it
To whatever you think you couldn't live without...

Maybe it's a brand new job. Because if the job you have didn't take so much energy and you could do what you always dreamed of doing-- everything would be great. Life would have so much more meaning.

Maybe it's a relationship. Because if you're single and lonely, dating someone and marriage could create passion and romance and support. It would make everything different; you would have a best friend.

Maybe it's money because if you had it, your house could look awesome, immaculate, super clean. Or you could have a new jet boat. You could stop worrying about paying off debt and pills- truly be carefree to travel and vacation.

Whatever that one thing is for you, you have to give it up.

And I hate that so much both for you and for me. Because I want it too.

But the thing is friends, whatever that "one thing" is. It's not worth it. It's not worth losing your salvation over because you can't control your thoughts and you're making it an idol. It's not worth losing sleep and worrying and dreaming because when you have it, it won't make your life perfect. It's not worth fighting God over. It's not worth doubting His promises of faithfulness.

I feel like so often I hear in church, I hear "pray about it and God will give it to you". Ask God for it and He will fulfill the desires of your heart. People make it sound like God is Santa Clause and like following Jesus is living in Magic Kingdom, fantasy land.

And that's a lie. It's not fair. It's not what Jesus promises us. Not right now anyways. God does not promise Christians an "American dream", shallow and happy kind of life- but He does promise us an eternal inheritance.

1 Peter 1:3-4 "Praise God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ through the dead and into an inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade- and this inheritance is kept for you in heaven."

"For our light and momentary troubles, are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

It's not that God doesn't want to bless us because I truly believe He does.
But how can he bless us if we are so worldly minded? How can He bless us if we can't surrender that one thing and it would become an idol for us?

I don't know about you, but there are times when I struggle so much with surrendering my earthly desires to Jesus. There are times, when I have to pray over and over again- to give Jesus control over my mind just so it won't wonder about things I want.

But it's important that daily I surrender any thing I want to Christ.
It's important that at the beginning of the day and at the end, that my heart and my mind knows, that Jesus is enough for me.
And that if I am poor and ugly and single and have to work a terrible job-- but I have the blessing of Jesus being my best friend-- I would still have great reason to live.

Friends, sometimes the pretty things in life clash with the things Jesus wants for me.
And sometimes even things that I believe are intrinsically good can become extrinsically bad when they compete with having the mind and focus of Christ.

In a world full of distractions, it's so important that we meet Jesus every day- that we fill up on His love and mercy and great plans for us. So that when Satan throws distractions and shiny images, and pinterest boards full of fun and fancy promises, in our faces.. we would know that we don't need those things.

Because our "one things" that we want don't compare to the Jesus we already have.

May we have full contentness in knowing Christ and may our hearts be full of His love and purpose for us each day.