You’re driving down the road and, all of the sudden, cars in front of you drastically drop in speed, almost stopping altogether. As you start to feel annoyed with the commotion, you realize there was a crash. You’re inching forward, closing to the scene. Your mind starts to race. As you whisper some prayers, your full attention is on the crash. You pass the accident, and your neck is strained from looking back at what happened. Then, looking back to the road, you see you almost got in car crash yourself because you were distracted!
That’s what has been going on in my life. I have been so focused on moving out and out-processing with the military, closing this chapter of my life, I haven’t been looking ahead of me. Staring at the crash seems so critical at the moment, but it doesn’t have a huge affect in your road trip. I have been consumed with processing documents, planning, scheduling, timing, selling, moving, and closing this chapter. I have served in the military for over six years, but I have been called for something greater! The road is my life and we can get so distracted from everyday life, but what is the most important thing we can ever live out? The Lord’s calling for our life and this mission is what Jesus is calling me into a deeper service for His Kingdom. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
We can get so easily entangled in distractions and hindrances from the world that makes our pursuit weak. We must throw them off and seek Jesus (Heb 12:1-2). By nature we are comfort seekers and, if we are not careful, we pursue this more than Christ. For instance, struggling with being sick at different times and out-processing, it has been hard for me to invest my morning time with God. I’m the type of person that if I don’t do it in the morning, then it’s probably not going to get done. However, my selfishness of staying in bed and wanting my own way is extremely opposite from following Christ. We are supposed to love Him with a sacrificial love with which He pursued us. That requires dying to ourselves and living fully for Him.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) Our identity is found in surrendering everything and being immersed in Him (John 3:30); surrendering our financial stability (Matt 19:21), comfort and security (Lk 9:58), and even all of our relationships (Lk 9:60). Our identity is found in Him and not ourselves (Ro 6:4-8, 1Cor 6:19-20, 2 Cor 5:14-15, Lk 9:23, Phil 2:3-8, Col 3:1-4, 1Thess 4:3, 1 John 2:3-4). “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (Luke 14:33)
You must understand…my heart can be wicked beyond imagination at times (Jer 17:9) and God is jealous for my heart (Ex 34:14). It can be painful at that moment to surrender something, but the reward is so far beyond what I gave up. So, once again, here I am approaching the Throne of Grace and giving Him my heart. That is the safest place it could ever be…in His hands. (Heb 4:16, Pro 4:23) Realigning my focus and joyfully following Him! That’s why it is a joyful sacrifice every time to bow my heart into the depth of His Kingdom.
““The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matthew 13:44
