Have you ever been in love, been so deeply committed to something or someone? I know I have and I still am. I believe every person has something in their life that they are passionate about. It is their drive for life, their heartbeat, and what keeps them going. When we are passionate about something we do not give up on it quickly, but we will invest countless hours into it to reach the goal we so desperately desire to reach.
When I was in marching band I gave it my all. I literally put forth blood, sweat, and tears into marching band. It was my heart and life. I loved it and I was committed to it even if I was in pain. The same goes in a relationship, right? For example, let’s say a couple has been dating for a year and the man says “Babe, I’m tired of being your boyfriend, but I want to be your husband,” but the woman says, “No, hun. What we have is good, so let’s just keep it this way, okay?” In this case, the woman is satisfied with the relationship as it stands, but the man wants to make a lifetime commitment with her. In reply, the man states, “It’s not good enough. I don’t just want half of you, but I want all of you.” This man wants more than candlelight over fine cuisine and walks on the beach, but he wants to commit, provide, protect, love, and be faithful to this one woman for life. However, she says what they have is “good”, but it is not good enough for him. Someone may say you don’t have to get married to be committed, but I say if you are truly committed to being faithful to one another why not get married? I have no other choice, but to believe that you are not willing to stay committed to the relationship if marriage is out, but that you are holding out (withholding, not giving the relationship your all) and waiting for the next best one to come in your life. If you are afraid the relationship will crumble, why waste your time and the other person’s time? Either you will love me completely, or you will not, and if you cannot love me with your whole heart, then step. If we feel this way, then how do you think God feels?
God says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt. 6:24). Besides the story above showing how much of a hopeful romantic I am, it correlates with God’s love toward us. He has made a commitment with us to “never leave us or forsake us” (Heb.13:5), but he requires something from us too just as in any relationship. I have not counted how many times yet, but the Lord tells us several times in his word “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deut. 6:5). This is the first commandment, which for me means this is my number one priority in life.
We have to be so careful in this world not to get entangled with the cares of life and wrapped up in the temporal things. Some of us are so busy trying to make a dollar, get an education, be most popular, be on top, and gain the world that we forget about why we even live this life. I am not against getting an education or making money because God knows those things we have need of, but these things become hindrances when we serve them to the point where we do not honor God, talk to him,or live for him. Nothing should substitute or be used to replace God.
Do you serve money or God? Is your time online more precious than time in God’s presence? Is he the center of your thoughts? These are all good questions for us to ponder on and take action. We have to rid ourselves of idols and anything that we use to replace God with. There are many idols. It could be food, your looks, a person, your job, car, and the list goes on and on. Anything we love more and spend more time with more than God needs to go. I have to evaluate myself, and I see there is a problem when my day consists of a little time spent with God, while wasted on so much foolishness. I know everyone’s schedule is not the same and sometimes I am extremely busy and other day’s are laid back, but there should be no day that we spend where God is not our head or focus.
Think about something you put your all into. Did not you want or expect to receive something profitable from that investment? Whether it was training to make a sports team or studying to make all A’s, you expected to get good results. However, unfortunately, maybe you did not make the team or got all A’s and that one lousy B. Did you stop, or did you keep fighting to reach that goal? If you kept fighting, then your passion was bigger than your defeat. Although, it does hurt when you put your all into something, then the results leave you with disappointment. God cares about your hurts and pains. All we have to do is give them to him. Just say, “Lord I can’t fix this, but you can.” As we hurt he hurts too. If you’ve ever loved or deeply cared for someone and they crushed and stomped on your heart, remember how that made you feel? You were not happy, but more like devastated, angry, or sad. Why would not God feel the same way when we reject him and don’t love him with all of our hearts? The only exception though is unlike us, God does not leave us and he does not stop loving us. What an awesome love he is? However, his love is not for us to keep doing what we want, but to fall to our knees in awe of how great he is that he could love someone like us. With loving-kindness he draws us to himself (Jer. 31:3).
The Lord loves you with an everlasting love and he wants your heart. Give him your heart and allow his word to fill your thoughts. Your thoughts will become your actions and that is how we are to love, “not in words, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). We all can talk a good game, but it is best to, as Nike would say, “Just do it.” As we expect to receive a full return in on our investments, so the Lord feels the same way and he has invested way more than we could ever invest. Give him your all. He is waiting.
Song of the Day: He Wants it All- Forever Jones
Gr8nessnme 