March 25
“’If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.’” (John 14:15)
Being obedient to everything I know I should do and not do, seeking the Lord and praying to Him throughout the day, seeking to know and do His will hour by hour, bringing every thought captive to Him, day in and day out for extended periods of time, seems like the most difficult thing I have ever attempted. I have so many fleshly indulgences I’d rather pursue. I’d rather goof off and watch movies, I’d rather sleep in, I’d rather play video games, and the list goes on and on. It feels like I am scaling a cliff with my bare hands. I have so many strong habits of disobedience, laziness, and other sins that I am ashamed to admit. They keep tugging at me.
I have spent most of my life doing what pleases me. Yes, I have worked hard at a job for decades that I haven’t particularly liked and have spent many hours raising kids and doing work around the house that hasn’t always been enjoyable. So in those respects I have done what was required. But when I really examine my thoughts and my heart, I am ashamed to admit how much selfishness and sin was still there, even after being a Christian for 35 years. It’s like I never fully surrendered my will and my thought life to the Lord. I have never gotten to the point where the only thing I wanted to do was the will of God. But I am pursuing this with more focus and desire than every before, and it is really, really exciting! And the more I do it, the more I want to do it; and it becomes easier. It becomes habit.
This is the goal in life, is it not, to bring every thought captive to Christ, to desire nothing other than to know and do the will of God and to please Him? Look up the following verses: John 6:38, 8:29, 15:1-8, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Colossians 1:9-12. Are the things described in these verses true of you? Are these your goal in life? Is complete obedience to Christ and bringing every thought, word, and deed even on your radar screen? This is how we show our love for Him: obeying His commandments.
Join with me in making this your sole pursuit in life, to love and serve and obey the Lord fully, bringing every thought, word, and deed captive to Him. Seek to know and do His will at all times. Surrender your will to Him. This is how we show our love for Him, by keeping His commandments.