Pursue Jesus!

"Hey guys. Here's your schoolwork. Grab your church bags and put your work in there, please, so you can do it while mom is in her meeting," I told my kids as we were preparing to leave the house.

"Mom! My stuff won't fit in my bag, cause of all my church stuff!," proclaimed my son in frustration.

"Well, just take out your church papers and then you'll have room for your other stuff," I responded as I hurriedly ironed my clothes.

And then it hit me. How often do I get rid of the church stuff in order to have room for other other stuff? How often do I push my relationship with the Lord aside so that I can fit into my life those things I feel to be more important?

"Just this one time," we say to ourselves as we hit the snooze button instead of rising to meet the Lord first thing in the morning. That one time turns into two and then three, then four and five, and before you know it your "quiet time " with the Lord has been replaced with an extra long meeting with the sandman.

"It's such a beautiful Sunday, it will be ok if we miss church today and go to the lake, or do some yard work, or clean out the garage, or..." Then next Sunday rolls around and low and behold it's another gorgeous day. "What's one more Sunday away from church?" Those Sunday's turn into a month full of Sunday's that we have decided to enjoy God's creation instead of worshipping the creator God with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

"It was such a busy week and I've got so much that I need to get done and today is the only day I have available to get everything done; church will just have to wait." Before long it seems as if the only day anything can be accomplished is the day meant to be spent in corporate worship praising God Almighty.

Now, I'm not just talking about replacing Sunday worship with things we deem more important; I'm also talking about all the other activities, people, and things that gain our attention over our relationship with God. Baseball practices, dance lessons, school, jobs, money, TV, extreme exercise. We push our relationship with the Lord aside so that we can climb the corporate ladder; for what? to gain a title? We get rid of the "Jesus" stuff so that we are able to fit in more with co-workers, friends, and maybe even family and not appear to be the weird one. We buy into the lies of the enemy who says we can have it all, live good lives, and in the end be a god ourselves. We replace God's Word with Cosmopolitan Magazine and Oprah, clinging to the latest fade and book club suggestion.

We have become a society of "easy come, easy go." "If it feels good, do it." "If it cramps your lifestyle, get rid of it." "If you want it, then do whatever you have to do it get." "You are all that matters in life." "Out with the old, in with the new." "Here today, gone tomorrow." Blah, blah, blah, blah. Are you getting the point here? If it doesn't fit into our schedule, if it doesn't work for us, if there's something out there that seems a little better, then whatever "it" is will be replaced with the next best thing.

My friends, can I just tell you that there is NOTHING better than Jesus! There is NOTHING and NO ONE who will work more for your good than Jesus. There is NOTHING and NO ONE who can fill you up like Jesus. Jesus is here today, just like He was yesterday, and I can assure you that He will be here tomorrow as well. There is NO relationship more important than your relationship with Jesus Christ. There is NO activity more important than your time spent with Him- praising Him, learning from Him, talking to Him, listening for His voice, and sitting at His feet.

If I know nothing else, I know this- when we push aside our relationship with the Jesus Christ to pursue other things, it may not happen right away, but over time our lives become more meaningless and empty, completely focused on self and the pursuit of pleasing self and gaining more and more. You and I were not created to live self-centered lives, but instead we were created to live lives that bring honor and glory to the King of Kings and Lord of Lord. We weren't created to get rid of Him or to push Him to the side, but to be filled up to the things of God- His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.

I ask you today: Have you pushed your relationship with the Lord to the side in order to pursue other things?

"The thief comes only to steal and kill
and destroy;

I came that they may have life, and have
it abundantly."

John 10:10, NASB

Pursue your relationship with the Lord today and in live in the freedom that He died in order for you to have.