Are you where you want to be or where you need to be? Most of us are where we want to be because we’re not willing to make the sacrifices or endure the discipline required to move us from where we are to where we know we should be. It amazes me even in my own life how quickly we are willing to settle for a mediocre life in Christ rather than experiencing the abundant life He promises to us (John 10:10).
Why are we so lazy? Consider everything our Lord went through on our behalf. They ridiculed, tortured, and ultimately killed Jesus in one of the most gruesome ways imaginable. That’s what He did for us. What are we willing to do for Him?
Don’t you want to know Him better than you do? Do you love Him more than anything in life? If you do, then shouldn’t you want to know Him more? Shouldn’t you be eager to surrender everything to Him? He didn’t hold back anything for you. Picture the Creator of the Universe setting aside His glory to become one of us (Philippians 2:5-9). The almighty became a weak and helpless human so He could die on our behalf. We whine when we can’t indulge in our pet sin and claim it is unfair. It’s an embarrassing contrast.
When you examine your life, are you where you want to be? My guess is probably yes. Each of us falls into our little happy places, content with our lives and unwilling to make the changes necessary to get to where we need to be in our relationship with God. We might say we want to be stronger in our faith, but it’s a lie. We are as close to God as we want to be. The only thing separating us from where we are to where we should be is our willingness to surrender to the Lordship of Christ. We are where we want to be because we see where we need to be as too painful. We see it as not worth the cost.
The truth is, none of us is where we need to be. A thousand lifetimes would not be enough to learn all there is to know of the Almighty God (Psalm 145:3). You must never be content to be where you are, even if you think it’s where you want to be. We should spend our lives in pursuit of where we need to be. I think a constant restlessness in our spiritual lives is a good thing. We should never rest on our laurels or buy into the illusion that we’ve arrived.
Pursuing God should be our lifelong passion. There’s nothing else worth our time. Everything but what we do for Christ is temporary and destined to be forgotten. Opportunities to share God’s love and to put that love into action as His hands and feet will never run out. There will always be someone in need of a smile, a kind word, some encouragement, or some help we can provide in a tangible way. It won’t always be comfortable as we pursue to go to where we need to be. It’s easier to stay in your comfort zone, right where you want to be. Where we need to be is in the perfect will of the Father. It’s where we should want to be and where every devoted follower of Jesus needs to be.