Give it All

"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus,

and turning to them he said:

'If anyone comes to me

and does not hate his father and mother,

his wife and children,

his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--

he cannot be my disciple.

And anyone who does not carry his cross

and follow me cannot be my disciple. . .

In the same way,

any of you who does not give up everything he has

cannot be my disciple.'"

Luke 14:25-27, 33

He loved God and followed His commands all of his life.  He spent much of his time studying God's law and putting it into practice.  He wanted so much to please God and live forever with Him.  When the man heard that Jesus the Messiah was close by, he took the chance to find out the answer to his question.

"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered just how he expected; "Keep the commandments."

"Well, I've done that since I was a boy!"

Jesus knew this was a man who took His Father's law seriously.  "There is one more thing;  Give all you have away to the poor and come follow me."

He couldn't believe He would ask such a thing.  Give away all of His riches?  How foolish and risky that would be!  What would he and his family live on?  No. . .that is too much to ask.. . I just can't do it. (Mark 10:17-31)

It's easy to sympathize with the young rich ruler.  He had it all but he didn't live for his own comfort, as is so common to do.  Instead, he tried to live his life in a way that pleased God.  All he wanted was the assurance of God's acceptance of his offerings.  Unfortunately, he went away sad because Jesus asked for more than he was willing to give.  The young man wanted to please God only if it came on his own terms.  He would try to do his best for God, but only if he could decide the means he would use.

I am so like this young man.  My heart desires to please God, but there are certain places I won't go, specific things I won't give up, or particular people I want by my side.  If, however, I truly want to delight in the Lord, I must be prepared to give it all.

My Heart

Mother Teresa, a tireless servant of Jesus Christ who worked with the lowest of the low in the slums of Calcutta, India said, "A clean heart is a free heart.  A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love."  This is how she was able to do the unthinkable: care for lepers, love the unlovable, nurse the hopeless.  Her heart was entirely devoted to Jesus, loving Him in the way she gave attention to the lost and suffering of this world.

When David prayed for God to, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me," (Psalm 51:10) he was committing himself back to the One he loved above all else.  He was throwing himself at God's mercy, knowing that He alone could rid him of all that distracts his heart from His true Love.  Only Jesus can capture my heart in such a way that my passion is for Him alone.

Many times, however, the trappings of this world, the worries that threaten to overtake me, or my inner drive to make a name for myself can take away from my One True Love.  How many times is my heart tainted with other than pure devotion to God?

What am I unwilling to give up for Jesus.  Which parts of my heart am I retaining for my own purposes and pleasure?  I could secretly want some recognition for the good things that I do.  Maybe it's hard for me to act selfishly, where there's no pay off for me.  It's likely that my heart is more devoted to my comfort than to following God's calling on my life.

Whatever I find to be the holdup, I must realize and accept that a pure heart is free from anything selfish that would keep me from following Jesus without hesitation.

If I want to delight the Lord, I will be ready to give my whole heart to Jesus.

My Mind

There are problems to solve, past conversations to analyze, blame to place, plans to make, work to perform, hurts to examine, revenge to plan and behavior to understand.  My mind is a battlefield, and if I want to have any chance of winning that fight, I will need to power of God to help me change the focus from me to Him.  

Even though there is much to capture the attention of my thoughts, it is possible to use my mind in a way that shows love and respect for God.  The Apostle Paul teaches me to focus my thoughts on things that will please God.  He says in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anythings is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

Virtuous and commendable thoughts are those that dwell on all the good that God is doing, not on all the problems and difficult circumstances that He allows for my good.  A friend of mine says that our words, spoken or thought, "create life or death.  Look at every problem as an opportunity for God to show Himself in ways unimaginable."  My life would change immensely if I viewed conflict or suffering as a way for God to display His mighty power instead of as a hardship.

Dwelling on the difficulties that come my way by asking myself Why does everything have to happen to me? or wondering, Great; what else can happen to make my life even worse than it already is? is counteractive to my faith in God.  Joyce Meyer talks about God's purposes for the hard things or difficult tasks He brings my way.  She said, "God doesn't tell you to do hard things so He can stand back and laugh and watch you struggle.  He tells you to do the things He knows are gonna work out to your good in the end." (Romans 8:28)  Keeping my mind focused on the good that will come out of the bad is pleasing to God.  

In addition, my thoughts not only can look negatively on my circumstances, but also on my own self.  When I think negatively about certain aspects of my character, I am tearing apart one of God's image-bearers: Me.  For instance, I have the habit of saying or thinking that I have a big mouth.  Thankfully, a friend of mine recently corrected my thinking.  She said, "You are assertive and can see the what needs to be done.  You speak up for others in a way that they cannot do for themselves."  When she put it like that, I instantly could feel myself sit up a bit straighter and my thinking began to turn more positive.  Putting myself down is not humility, it is showing a disregard for God's grand design.

No matter how strongly my thoughts naturally turn toward the negative, a mind dedicated to Jesus will be transformed into a mind that pleases God.

My Will

My will is defined by Merriam-Webster as, "a disposition to act according to principles or ends."  In other words, my will is what gives me the drive to make a decision.  This determination or resolve can work toward my favor and support my desires, or it can push me closer to Christ.  When my will yields to Christ, I will act in a way that pleases God.  When, however, my will is solely set on me and my wishes, then I'm only gratifying myself.

Thankfully, God is not a bully who breaks my will and forces me to obey Him.  He sends situations and hard times into my life to help me to see those parts of me of which I must let go in order to come to Jesus as I am, ready to let Him work through me.  Fear, worry, anxiety and doubt are obstacles that get in the way of my access to Him.  God, however, never gives up on me.  He compassionately and relentlessly pursues me with His persistent love, guiding me in the way I can go, if I will only choose.

Allowing God to have access to my life comes only with my blessing.  He will not force Himself upon me, but waits to be invited.  As Jesus said in Revelation 3:20 ESV, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

A closer relationship with Jesus that goes beyond a Savior/Saved association, must be initiated by me.  I must desire to make Him Lord of my life.  As Oswald Chambers explained regarding those things to keep me from giving Jesus lordship, "The Holy Spirit will locate the one impregnable thing in you, but He cannot budge it unless you are willing to let Him."

My will is the one thing that can get in the way of Jesus having full ownership of my life.  Sure, there are sin struggles, fleshly strongholds and other barriers; but all of those can be removed by Jesus.  I, however, must permit Him access to my life.

As strong as my will may be, it is only possible to please God is I am agreeable to give ultimate sovereignty over my life to Him.

Simply wanting to please God on my own terms is not enough.  I must be willing to give my whole heart to Jesus, dedicate my mind to thoughts that please Him, and give Him complete access to my life.  In these ways I will do what the eager, young rich ruler would not do: Follow Jesus.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my thought life turned toward the good things God is doing.

How does my heart betray my true focus?

When do I unintentionally set my will against God?