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whole heartedly

JEREMIAH 29:12
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." 

What does seeking the Lord with my whole heart look like? What does it mean to give my life to honor Him in all I do? How extreme do I have to be? The world of possibilities outside my tiny comfort zone is a terrifying place, let's be real. But what's more important - God's glory or my potential embarrassing failure?

My greatest struggle is always deciding how much I'm going to trust God. Do I believe that He wants to make Himself known to me enough to read His word every day? Do I trust that He knows what's best for me enough to joyfully obey Him? Do I believe that He loves me enough to stop seeking satisfaction in other places?

Jeremiah 29:12 brings all of this^ up in me every time I dwell on its challenge. It is precisely the push that has been causing friction in my heart lately. I get so achy with compassion when I see a person acknowledging Jesus as Lord with their mouth and not with their life. (I tried dancing around the issue several different times as I was planning this post, but grace without truth is powerless and vice versa.) I say compassion because THAT WAS ME just a short time ago. And may I speak from experience? Christianity is certainly not a cake walk, but life is better on the side of surrender. I have just two short, strongly worded points and then I'm done:  

1. If you're saying you believe in Jesus to cover your bases and fulfill your perceived requirements...it's not enough. I sound harsh but come on, it's not like you're hiding anything from the Orderer of the universe. He knows your heart better than you do! And He loves you FAR too much to let you be content with less than the abundantly full life He desires to give you. If you're not willing to start by welcoming Jesus onto the throne of your heart, then you haven't had an accurate glimpse of what this whole salvation deal is really about. Whether or not you actually believe this yet, having Jesus in your life is worth more than your earthly security, more than your comfortable and profitable routines, and more than the prideful fight for self-sufficiency. BE HONEST. IT IS WORTH IT. Have the courage to dig deep and lay all your cards on the table before Him. Ask Him to soften your heart and help you understand. No one ever found gold by keeping their hands clean outside the mine. 

1 Samuel 16:7 "People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 

2. If you're praying to God for peace, wisdom, etc. but continuing to live in direct opposition to His will for your life, how do you think anything will be fixed? Our omnipotent God is capable of changing someone's circumstance at any second, of course. But His plans are about more than your personal agenda. As you're praying to the God of peace, remember that you're also praying to the God of sovereignty. He desires RELATIONSHIP with you, not just 911 prayers! Sometimes the Lord captivates a person's heart so unexpectedly, and sometimes He's waiting for you to make the next move. It's not about striving to proving yourself, it's about making every effort for Him because you WANT to show Him that you're serious. Please please please trust me when I say that the things you're scared He'll make you give up are NOTHING compared to the experience of knowing you are drawing nearer to your Father. The decision to trust Jesus is the single most importance choice of your life. Don't avoid the Author of love because you are more worried about your personal image or relationship status. What He has planned for your life is INFINITELY BETTER than anything you could ever imagine. 

In Luke 11:28 JESUS says, "Even more blessed are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice!"

I know. That's a lot. And it's scary. Being uncomfortable is not pleasant but it is FRUITFUL, because it is there in the uncomfortable places that we grow and experience more life. I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm preaching to the choir with this post...just know that the truest sentence of my life is that I'm only alive because of my God's grace. (Grace. Definitely my next topic. Did I mention that it saved my life?) He loves you so so much. Get close enough to hear Him tell you Himself. You will never be the same!!

John 10:10 "I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full."

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