Just Jesus and You

This week I have really been taken with the fact that we are loved beyond measure (Ephesians 3:19).

To be honest, the reason this overwhelms me so much is because there was a long stretch of my life where I really didn't understand or even believe in how much God loved me, and it showed. It showed up in every single area of my life. My relationship with God first and foremost, my relationship with others, and how I viewed myself. Let's start with my relationship with God.

For years, I lived in desperate need of God's approval, as if He didn't already call me chosen. I was terrified at every little mistake I made, believing that now He just wouldn't love me the same. I viewed God as a set of checks and balances--as long as I did certain things right, I would be loved by Him. Now, obedience and faithfulness are pillars to our walk with the Lord. But so is repentance and forgiveness. Lucky for us, He specializes in both.

My relationship with others. How much time do we have here on this blog?! LOL! I am just kidding! But not really! Y'all, I was so off in how I thought the Lord viewed me, that I just was not good to myself and others. It took me YEARS to learn how to live a better way. My insecurities screamed so loudly--they affected so much. Leaning into insecurity caused me to hide, not show up for people, live in competition, envy, jealousy. And the beat goes on. It wasn't until I really embraced the love of the Father and HIS love for others, that I finally became the person He wanted me to be. I used to look at the years that I "missed it" and cringe at my failures. But now, I see it as the redemption of Christ over my life that I get to show others what not to do, and a much, much better way at living.

Myself. Because I didn't fully understand the love of the Father, I spent so many years focused on me. When we take our eyes off of us, and look straight at Him, so much healing happens inadvertently. What precious time could be used seeking the Father and praying for others, instead of just looking at ourselves.

My life changed completely when I decided to once and for all make Him my highest and greatest priority. There were seasons, even while serving whole heartedly in the ministry and leading others, that I can safely say He was not the first priority. He was almost first, but somewhere along the way, busyness took over. I would find myself studying the Word only to preach a message. Or worshipping or sitting at the piano singing only to come up with another song. I was doing all these wonderful things for Him, all the while somehow completely missing Jesus. But when I pressed pause and realigned my priorities--oh friend, EVERYTHING changed. Absolutely everything.

I have truly never felt so free in my life. And you want to know the funny thing? I can't tell you the day and time that it happened. It just happened by daily choosing Him first. Above the noise, above the distractions, above the disappointments, above the busyness, above the excuses--just Jesus and me.

I want to share some practical things on seeking Him first. Really, for me, there are 3 basics: worship, pray, read. Repeat after me, "worship, pray, read."

Worship: For me, this is a must to start with. Something just happens when you turn on some worship music, or sing in the silence, or sit with your instrument--and just give all your attention to Jesus NO MATTER what is fighting for your attention elsewhere. With 3 littles, sometimes they are along for the ride too! You can do this anywhere at any time, but I have found mornings to be most effective. More on that to come below.

Read: Everyone has time to read the Word every day. No one is that busy. Stop telling yourself you are too busy. It literally takes a minute LOL! Enough with the dramatics--you can stop to read a Bible verse. For real! You can START with the verse of the day on the YouVersion Bible app. I capitalized start because by no means should you stay there. We should always be growing. The verse of the day at some point simply won't be enough. If you are not there already, trust me, once this becomes a daily habit--you will CRAVE the Living Word. For now, if it is not a habit--start where you are. Open the Bible app, find a plan, and start reading. Just do it. It will change your life.

Pray: Commune with the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. There is so much Holy Spirit wants to say to you. So much! And if you've been alive longer than 10 minutes, I am sure you have much to say to Him too. Don't let a single day go by without this sweet, precious communion.

I challenge you to do everything you can to make this a daily morning habit. Heavy emphasis on the morning. Unless you work nights or odd hours and your days are reversed, there is something really holy about starting your mornings with Jesus. And if you can meet Him before the sun rises, there is just something really glorious about this. There are a lot of arguments that can and have been made around this, so this is just what I have found to be the most wonderful. When I start my days without being in His presence, even if just for a few minutes, I always feel it. It somehow just feels like I got ahead of Him, and the day just keeps going and getting ahead of Him. Before I know it, the day is done or halfway done, and I haven't even met with Him before it all started.

I used to struggle so bad with all 3 of these (worship, reading, prayer). Then, I resisted them because it felt religious. Until I realized that I brush my teeth every day. I shower [just about] every day. Hello newborn season! Don't worry, he's not a newborn anymore and I am back to showering everyday hahaha. But seriously, how many things can we name that we do every day? Drink water, eat, talk to someone, GRAB OUR PHONES, etc. I mean seriously, how many fruitless (and fruitful!) things do we do every day? Surely, we can make time to cultivate the most important relationship we will ever have.

I want to end with this. While writing this I could not escape the feeling that some of you reading this may be in a season where you have felt different. Maybe out of sorts, maybe a little distant from what you are used to. That's why I titled this "Just Jesus and You." Don't be caught off guard if life feels a bit different right now than what it looked like even just a few months ago. Sometimes we enter seasons where it's just Jesus, and you. And then all the other things. Count it a privilege when He is your only option. What a gift to know Him.

Do these 3 things everyday IN PURSUIT of Him and watch how your life changes. Watch how your relationship just grows with Him. Simple devotion. He wants to be with you more than you even know. Watch how He transforms your relationships. Watch how much more whole you become. Being in His presence wholly and consistently will do that. As He pours out His love on you, it will transform every single area of your life.

Friends, you are so precious and so valuable to Him. I am cheering you on from my little corner of the world. Cultivate an undeniably firm relationship with Him and go and be everything He has called you to be.

"And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."-Ephesians 3:19

-R 💕