My Soul Longs For You;

What is this life about?

I am really challenged by this question. As an American, I am taught that life is about success, marriage, and deserving everything I want. Life is supposed to be about me. I reserve the right to go to college. While I'm there, I will inevitably fall in love. Once I graduate with a PhD then I will get married, have the most beautiful wedding ever, and get my dream job all at the same time. As soon as my husband and I buy our first home, we will have the best jobs in the world and we are going to be very happy together. Then, once we are stable, we're going to have our own kids. We'll probably hire a nanny so that we can both continue on our successful career paths so we can have more money than we know what to do with.

I think we forget that real life is not a movie. Real life is messy. It's spontaneous. And we only get one time to do it.

What if Jesus asked you to leave college, sell everything you own, and move to Africa? Would you do it?

What if Jesus revealed to you that you aren't going to get married or have children of your own? Would you fight it?

What if you feel led to intentionally seek a simplistic life void of luxuries? Would you give up everything?

These are cringing questions. It's hard to choose between the world and Jesus' best for our lives because we can only see from our own perspective.

Luke 9:23-25 -- Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?"

What do we gain?

Jesus paid it all. He gave us absolutely everything. Because of what? Because of HIM. Because He is love. Not because of anything we did.

Shouldn't we hand it all back to him? I hate how entitled we feel. I hate how entitled I feel. It's disgusting. We don't deserve anything. Jesus deserved everything, but he came on this earth and humbled himself as a slave. Jesus sat down and washed people's feet. He healed them. He listened to them. He ate with them. He prayed with them.

We should stop thinking about all of the things that we want out of life and start thinking about what else we can give to life. How can we help others? How can we bless others? How can we further the kingdom? It's not about us.

Psalm 63.

O God, you are my God; 

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land

where there is no water.

I have seen you in your sanctuary

and gazed upon your power and glory.

Your unfailing love is better than life itself;

how I praise you!

I will praise you as long as I live,

lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

You satisfy me more than the richest feast.

I will praise you with songs of joy.

I lie awake thinking of you,

meditating on you through the night.

Because you are my helper,

I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

I cling to you;

your strong right hand holds me securely.

But those plotting to destroy me will 

come to ruin.

They will go down into the depths of

the earth.

The will die by the sword

and become the food of jackals.

But the king will rejoice in God.

All who trust in him will praise him,

while liars will be silenced.