Jesus is the One you reach out to when you are in need, and perhaps the One to whom you give thanks when things are going well. But is He also the one you serve in between those times? It seems to me this is a true test of our faith. It’s not whether we are grateful to Him in good times and seek Him in the bad, but the test is if we will serve Him in the boring and mundane middle.
As I’ve repeated many times in my writing, if Jesus isn’t Lord of all, then He isn’t Lord at all. If changing circumstances change how you think about Christ, then He isn’t Lord of everything. Is Jesus Lord of all in your life?
It’s true Jesus is our refuge when times are tough. Throughout scripture, we have many assurances that He will help us when difficulty arises. He is our ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1), our shelter in the storm (Isaiah 25:4). The Lord is our fortress (Psalm 18:1-2), and He destroys the weapons being brought against us (Psalm 91:4-6). He will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). When we need Him most, Jesus will be there. He is always there, sticking closer than a brother through whatever trials we may encounter (Proverbs 18:24; Matthew 28:19-20).
It is also true that we should praise Him when things are going well for us. His praise should forever be on our lips (Psalm 34:1) for God alone is good (Mark 10:18). All good things come from the Lord, and nowhere else (James 1:17). We should praise Him in the morning and in the evening (Psalm 92:1-2). There is not a moment in time where He is not worthy of our praise, and there are no moments when we should withhold our praise. It is always appropriate to worship and bow down before our Lord and Maker (Psalm 95:6).
But what about those times in between distress and joy? Is Jesus Lord of all even then? Do we forget Him when it seems as if we have everything under control? If circumstances in life aren’t pushing us to seek Him, are we still being diligent in our pursuit of Him? No matter what’s going on in our lives, our mission is to know God so we can love and serve Him more. You can’t love someone you don’t know, and you won’t rightly serve someone you don’t love.
Is Jesus Lord of all to you? Is He the focus of your life in between the highs and lows? It takes little effort to praise God when times are good, and even less to cry out to Him in our despair. The real test is whether we will give Him our focus and devotion amid the regular cadence of everyday life. Jesus cannot be your Lord only in the extremes of life. He must be Lord at all times.
If seeking Jesus makes up the fabric of our lives, then we will never wonder if He will be with us when the storms of life knock us down. It will be as natural as breathing to praise Him when He lifts us up. If Jesus is Lord of all, then He will be Lord of all at all times. Jesus doesn’t want a relationship of convenience with you. He demands your complete surrender and devotion, and He demands it at all times. Do you love Him enough to give it to Him? Do you love Him enough to surrender everything and seek Him at all times?