"Are you willing to deny yourself and follow Me?" - Jesus
That is the question Jesus has been asking me lately.
It is a question that makes me ponder everything I've ever known and scares me intensely. It makes me seek truth and grow in my relationship with Jesus.
But the truth is that I gave up my right to decide what my life "should" look like when I surrendered my life to Jesus.
Then I asked, "What does denying myself look like?"
It means surrendering my dreams, needs, wants, emotions and feelings, family, friends, plans, and anything else that stops me from following Jesus wholeheartedly.
It means saying, "I will be content being single in this season as You take me where I need to be."
It means saying, "I will follow You even though it may mean not seeing my family for a little bit."
It means saying, "I will learn how to fully trust you."
"I have one desire now, to life a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it." - Elisabeth Elliot
I thought I had a fear issue until recently when I was having a counseling session with a friend. Then I realized that I actually have a trust issue. I somehow get it in my head that I can do a better job of planning my life than my Creator does.
Recently I heard the song, "King of the World" by Natalie Grant and all the lyrics hit me really hard.
Here is the YouTube link for it, if you wanted to hear it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOVuhQ7akTg
Today I made a college as I was meditating on the lyrics and what Jesus is teaching me through them.
So basically, Jesus asking me this question has really been challenging me about my level of trust towards Him and how far I'm willing to go to trust Him.
When discussing a possible future plan with a friend, they said, "That is a big decision." And I replied, "It's not a decision if I'm choosing to follow Jesus. If He says 'Go,' I go."
Following Jesus often requires making hard choices and doing uncomfortable things. But He has promises for us, and I make the intentional choice to follow Him and treasure those promises in my heart.
"I assure you,' Jesus said, 'there is no one who has left -- house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or fields -- because of Me and the Gospel who will not receive 100 times more..." - Mark 10:29-30
That is the question Jesus has been asking me lately.
It is a question that makes me ponder everything I've ever known and scares me intensely. It makes me seek truth and grow in my relationship with Jesus.
But the truth is that I gave up my right to decide what my life "should" look like when I surrendered my life to Jesus.
Then I asked, "What does denying myself look like?"
It means surrendering my dreams, needs, wants, emotions and feelings, family, friends, plans, and anything else that stops me from following Jesus wholeheartedly.
It means saying, "I will be content being single in this season as You take me where I need to be."
It means saying, "I will follow You even though it may mean not seeing my family for a little bit."
It means saying, "I will learn how to fully trust you."
"I have one desire now, to life a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it." - Elisabeth Elliot
I thought I had a fear issue until recently when I was having a counseling session with a friend. Then I realized that I actually have a trust issue. I somehow get it in my head that I can do a better job of planning my life than my Creator does.
Recently I heard the song, "King of the World" by Natalie Grant and all the lyrics hit me really hard.
Here is the YouTube link for it, if you wanted to hear it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOVuhQ7akTg
Today I made a college as I was meditating on the lyrics and what Jesus is teaching me through them.
So basically, Jesus asking me this question has really been challenging me about my level of trust towards Him and how far I'm willing to go to trust Him.
When discussing a possible future plan with a friend, they said, "That is a big decision." And I replied, "It's not a decision if I'm choosing to follow Jesus. If He says 'Go,' I go."
Following Jesus often requires making hard choices and doing uncomfortable things. But He has promises for us, and I make the intentional choice to follow Him and treasure those promises in my heart.
"I assure you,' Jesus said, 'there is no one who has left -- house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or fields -- because of Me and the Gospel who will not receive 100 times more..." - Mark 10:29-30
If you think of me, please pray that I would have my ears open to what Jesus is speaking to me and that I would have the courage to follow Him no matter where He leads!
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