Sold Out

I finished the book of John in my Bible reading this morning. Jesus met the disciples for the third time after His resurrection on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. After providing breakfast for the disciples in a miraculous way, Jesus asked Peter this question: "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?"

As I read Jesus' words I was immediately brought back to a time five years ago when my good friend and spiritual mentor, Jenny, related to me a story about these words. The Lord had asked her this very question. He had asked her to give up a couple of areas of service that were very dear to her heart in order that she might follow Him to a different church. I've thought about Jenny so many times in these past couple to months. It's been almost a year since she passed. Jenny loved nothing better than to hear a good story about how the Lord was working in someone's life. I've longed to tell her all about everything the Lord is doing in my family's life.

Jesus' question penetrated my heart this morning. How sold out am I for Him? How much have I allowed the cares of this world clutter my brain and push out thoughts of Him lately? As Oswald Chambers said, "He educates us down to the scruple." My sinful self desires to be first, not last. I've been reading a book called Passionate Housewives, Desperate for God. In it, the authors point out the paradox of the Gospel--only in dying to self does one find true Life. The world tells us the opposite. "You've got to think of yourself because no one else will. You need 'me' time. You deserve it." I even had a fellow sister in the Lord say those very words to me a few weeks ago. God says, "Be holy, as I am holy." I can only do this by dying to self through the power of the Holy Spirit. Only by holding loosely to the very things my flesh longs to keep a tight grip on, do I find true abundance. Being a follower of Jesus is not easy, but there's nothing that compares to the joy that is found in being one of His own.