Jesus, you paid it all,
Help me to be “All In” for you!
Topic of the month: LOVE
I walked up to my favorite fountain drink dispenser and pushed the same button I push every day. As the liquid cascaded over the mountain of ice in my prized styrofoam cup I could almost taste that bubbling delight! I took a sip. Instead of delight, what I tasted was a severely watered down version of my favorite beverage. How could this be? How could my favorite establishment destroy this moment I’d waited for all morning? After all I made a special trip just to get it. Whoa is me!
When I think of how disappointed I got with a drink that just wasn’t up to par it seems like such a silly thing. But is it? What does that say to me? What can I learn from this?
And then, I thought…I wonder what parts of my life are being lived in a watered-down state. Am I walking through my days haphazardly? Doing the bare minimum? Just settling for the “whatever happens” mentality? Believing that nothing I do matters anyway, so why try? Why build friendships that won’t last anyway? Why teach my children right from wrong, not knowing if they will listen?
And as all of these questions flooded my mind I was stirred deep inside, a feeling in my soul that I could not shake. I asked myself am I living an “All In” faith for Jesus or am I living a “watered down” version. Whoa is me all right.
In scripture when a scribe asks Jesus, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:28-30 NASB)
Jesus says he wants me fully engaged in all I do. To love Him with ALL my heart, ALL my soul, with ALL my mind and ALL my strength. Not just a little but ALL. Not a “whenever I feel like it” kind of faith or “when things are going my way” faith! He asks for an all consuming faith.
An assurance of what Jesus says; Jesus does. A love for all of His Word-not just the parts I like. A life that is full of accepting His grace, His mercy and His forgiveness. A life that lives and breathes the love he brings. Oh how I love Jesus. He teaches me in my everyday moments…even as I stand at the fountain drink dispenser.
Dear Jesus,
How we need a deeper desire for you. Help us to keep our hearts bent toward the things that matter most to you, our souls fixed on being content in your presence, our minds focused on you and your teachings, and may our strength be found in you alone. Lord, you are Holy and you are worthy of our complete and total praise! We pray in your precious name. Amen!
Holding Fast to Hope,
Jen
Scripture References: Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:27, Matthew 22:37, Deuteronomy 10:12
