Living Life for Christ Alone

"Lord, I've been so caught up in life that I've forgotten You.... Make me to become so caught up in You that I forget life!" This was my prayer today after I read, reread, and meditated on Hebrews 12:1-2. This is what it says: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith..." (NLT) We are to "strip off" all of the weights that are slowing down and leave them behind. As I read this, I was like, "how? How in the world do I strip off all the weights?" I just looked at those two words and prayed silently that God would open my eyes. And then I kept reading.... "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus..."

We naturally desire to be loved, and often, the only way to find love from others is to prove to them we are worth loving... Haven't you ever felt that way? "That person won't love me until I..." ...And then you go and do it. After that, you have love that you worked  for. You earned  it because you did exactly what you knew he or she wanted you to do. That love is conditional, because the next time you mess up and don't do what they wanted, you've lost it -that respect you earned, that love you thought you had, gone. Conditional love is very fragile. If you live to have that kind of love, your life is very fragile. Your joy comes in small doses, doses that depend on you.  That joy is not real joy, because it is easily taken over when you fail to measure up. There is, however, a love that is completely opposite. This love is a love that lives to pursue. It is the love of God.... it is God Himself, because God is love. (1 John 4:8, 16)

The sun had barely risen in the wilderness, and in the tent could be seen the silhouette of a man kneeling, praying to the God of heaven. A cloud, glorious in appearance, stood over the place where the man knelt silent and speechless. He could not take his eyes off the cloud, for in it -he knew- was the very God he was praying to. This was an amazing thought to him.  As he knelt there, the turmoil within his heart grew. One question was on his heart, and he wasn't sure exactly how to ask the One who stood before him in so much splendor. 

"Looking unto Jesus..." (Heb. 12:2) We make everything so hard sometimes... But it all boils down to just one thing: You and your Savior, Jesus Christ. No long, elaborate answer for every question, just the simple "looking unto Jesus..." That's it. He is the answer to the salvation question. He is the answer to every other question, too! We weren't called to figure out every detail of our lives. We weren't called to know the answers to every question. We weren't called to understand why everything happens or what is going to happen. We're just invited to be still and look only to Jesus. Even when it seems like the whole world is looking to you for the answer, He is the answer. Even when you feel like its up to you -it's not. Jesus can handle it. Just look to Him and Him alone... That's it. Even when the day is filled with demands and people are pressing in on you, He is the answer. He can handle it. He's not weak -you are.

Trust God... When the way is rough, trust Him. When your world is falling apart, trust Him. When all forsake you, trust Him. When you lose the ones you love, trust Him. When you're hurt by those closest to you, trust Him. When life is confusing, trust Him. When life's trials seem to overwhelm you, trust Him. When storms threaten to block your view of Him, trust Him. When your next step is uncertain, trust Him. When you feel lost and confused, trust Him. When life is up or down -all the time, trust Him and only Him. He promised He will never leave you! He promised His love for you will never fail! He said He cares for you and delights in every detail of your life! He firmly holds you in His hand! He planned out your whole life before the foundations of the earth were built! He gave you every spiritual blessing, dear child of God! He calls Himself your Father and you, dear Christian, His child! He loves you with an everlasting love and His eyes are always on

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." -Proverbs 4:23 NLT Your heart is where everything begins. The thoughts of your heart eventually become the actions you take. "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." (Proverbs 23:7 KJV) Guarding your heart means this: Keeping the door shut to the enemy, the flesh, and the devil. When their little agents knock on the door, don't answer it! Keep it bolted shut! If we let them in, they can -however small- eventually take over and ruin your life. It also means giving the reins of your heart to One who can control it from running in all directions. So easily can our hearts run to the things that appeal in the moment. But God is greater and can control that! He can, when we're tempted, remind us of truth by means of His Spirit, keeping the lies of the enemy from having effect on us.

"God doesn't want us to be mere campfires; He wants us to be bonfires, raging infernos for Him." -Mark Cahill Burn brighter, dear Christian! Don't think for a moment that your light has reached its limit. Do you know who the light within you is? Jesus said that He is the light! Do you realize there is no limit to His power? Fear is one great hindrance to His power in our lives, and often we don't know how to stop the inevitable flow of fear... But "God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7)  First John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

We all, as children of our heavenly Father, have a choice every day... " 'Listen to Me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to Me! You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down before a false god. For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.'" -Ps. 81:8-10 Do we ever stop to think that God is a jealous God? He loves us so much that when we forsake Him for a false god, He burns with jealousy and is deeply grieved. He wants us so badly to give our whole hearts to Him that He sternly warns us, "Please, please do not bow down to a false god!"

Jesus is the only One who can see the deepest secrets in your soul and not love you any less. Jesus is the only Friend who always seeks to be with you, even when you push Him away. Jesus is the only Person who hangs onto every word you say, even when what you say reflects the inherent sinfulness of your soul.  Jesus is the only One who hangs on to your hand, even when you let go of His. Jesus is the only Guide who gives direction even when you don't listen. Jesus is the only Savior who died to save your soul, even when you were yet a sinner. Jesus is the only Counselor who gives counsel even when you don't esteem His counsel highly. Jesus is the only One who looks for you even when you aren't seeking to be found. Jesus is the only God who never gives up on you even when you have given up on Him. ...Why, then, is it, that we, though being loved so marvelously, seek to find solace in the mediocre things in life?  Friends, Jesus is the One who satisfies all the cra