At the conference on Saturday I met a beautiful woman about my age. I don’t know many details about her life. I don’t if she is single or married… if she has kids or not… if she works outside the home or in her home. But what I do know is she’s been going to church for a long time.
Not only has she been going but she’s been involved serving, giving, and doing all the right church stuff.
But, something was missing.
“I never could quite put my finger on it until this weekend,” she whispered. “I never knew what it really meant to have a relationship with Jesus. But hearing you explain it, something clicked. I walked forward today. I gave my heart to Jesus.”
She brushed her long dark hair away from her eyes and I could see the sparkle, the joy, the realization of salvation. Scattered pieces of faith coming together to make the picture of Jesus more clear, more solid, more applicable in her life.
A fresh vision of hope.
And I wondered what part of what I shared made this profound click happen in her soul?
Of course, it was the Holy Spirit moving… but somehow in the midst of me sharing the broken places of my life, things came together in hers.
It got me thinking about us doing life together here on the blog. A few moments whispering truths back and forth over the internet learning how to navigate life as Jesus girls. But all that we talk about is for nothing if our hearts stay far from Jesus.
It’s not about momentary motivation to make it through today.
It’s not about spiffy quotes to ponder and put into practice.
It’s not about relationship tactics and turnkey solutions.
It’s not about bite-size pieces of peace to make life a little more manageable.
It’s not about making our lives look and feel a little better.
It has to be about Jesus.
And drawing our hearts into His reality. His grace. His love. His hope. His forgiveness. And most of all the free gift of salvation because of Him.
If there is even one of my bloggy friends like this woman from this weekend who can’t put her finger on what’s missing but is just bouncing from one religious activity to the next… sweet sister can we chat?
God doesn’t want us to have a religion. A religion is where we follow rules hoping to do life right, and we serve God out of duty because we think we have to.
God wants us to have a relationship. A relationship where we follow Him. And we serve God not out of duty but out of delight because of the realization of who we are in Him.
For years, I defined myself as the broken child of a broken daddy. I went to church to get a little “God goodness” in my life. But it was like putting fresh paint on rotting wood. I was living just like those talked about in Isaiah 29:13, “The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.’ ”
It wasn’t until I realized I didn’t have to be defined by the circumstances of my life. I could be defined by the reality of who God says I am. I wasn’t a broken child of a broken daddy… I was a forgiven and loved child of the Most High God… my Heavenly Father.
I didn’t need a little “God goodness” to rub off on me… I needed God to invade the deepest parts in me.
I didn’t need to be just following the rules. I needed to be following God Himself.
So, I knelt down in the midst of my messy, chaotic, confused life… and started a relationship with Him by simply saying yes.
Yes, I am a sinner in need of a Savior.
Yes, I acknowledge Jesus Christ as the son of God, sent to die on a cross and be resurrected on the third day to save me from my sins.
Yes, I want Jesus to be the Lord and Master of my life.
Yes, I am a now and forever will be a forgiven and saved child of the Almighty God.
Yes, I will follow Jesus today, tomorrow, and every other day I’m blessed with on this earth.
Oh sister, let me quiet the voice of Satan screaming to resist this process because you won’t be able to live this out perfectly. Jesus has never ever asked for us to be perfect. He simply wants us perfectly surrendered. I often pray, “Oh Jesus… I am such a mess but I am Yours. Show me… help me… forgive me… reassure me… and pour your tender mercy upon me.”
And He does.
And He always will.
My imperfections are safely tucked within the reality of His perfection.
And I simply press on by continuing to say YES moment by imperfect moment… day by imperfect day.
Dear Friends, I pray for all of you and I ask that you pray for me… I pray that we continue to grow in the Lord. I pray that you always feel him walk with you and talk with you.. what ever your strugles may be. I am struggling very much with my walk and need prayers very much. I pray for the conference this weekend. I live in Pittsburgh and was all ready to go but my father needs to have a procedure on Friday so I am not able to attend which has left me very sad. I was looking so forward to hearling Lysa speak and getting fired up again. Blessings to everyone… Sue Rupert
Jesus , thank you for loving us and being here. Thank you that you will direct each precious woman to your heart as long as they are seeking you. You are already there to be found.
I know Jesus saved me when I asked him into my life when I was a teenager – even though I had no idea what it really meant at the time, I knew I was sincere in wanting to find out. I’m in my early 30s now and I’ve known the difference for a long time between being religious and being saved, and in regard to another woman’s comment earlier in response to this post, I don’t believe that you need to do anything but ask Jesus into your heart to be saved. (I’m not sure where she got her information, but it always concerns me when people start saying “just asking Him into your heart isn’t enough to be saved, you then have to do X, Y, and Z or you’re not saved” which makes me want to reply with, well, the thief on the cross next to Jesus didn’t have time to get down and be baptised, but that’s not the point).
As for living out His will for our lives, I think that’s something different and does require every day attention.
I think my heart’s response to your post today is a bit different to what you’re talking about, because while I know I am saved, sometimes I look around and wonder haltingly if I’m doing something *wrong*, because while I want to know Jesus and love Him and feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me, sometimes I’m not sure if I do, or if it’s just me trying to make myself believe I do. Don’t get me wrong: I fully give God the credit for my entire life, for every blessing, every drop of grace and mercy He’s bestowed… and during my darkest moments I prayed on my face every morning for some kind of way out, and He gave it. But in the every day stuff, I read the Bible and pray, and very rarely hear Him. It makes me worry I’m missing out on just how close a relationship I could have with Him, but I don’t know how. Other than spending more time and being certain never to miss a morning with Him, and reading every day even if I don’t feel my anything from having read, I don’t know what to do that I’m not doing… I don’t “feel” Him guiding me in very obvious ways. Maybe it’s just because I’m at a place right now where I so badly want to know what His purpose is for me in black & white terms (Ie “pursue this job/career/earn money in this way”). Anyhow… I needed to vent that out and if you’ve read this Lysa, thanks for reading. God bless.
Of course, it was the Holy Spirit moving… but somehow in the midst of me sharing the broken places of my life, things came together in hers.
That was my favorite line Lysa…I so relate to that whole heartedly. Thank you for this powerful post
Everyone, if you need so someone to pray for you… ask God in a prayer to have Leah of Wisconsin help in someway. I will pray for you, even if I do not know what you need to be prayed for. I hope you can help me by praying for my friends sisters friend who killed herself by laying on a train track and getting run over by a train. I am in a deep mood and are lost in hope.
Thank you…Leah of Brookfield Wisconsin
Thank you for your obedience and faithful walk with the Lord. Your words always touch my heart, and encourages me to continue growing a deeper relationship with our Father especially with all the sin in the world around us. God bless you and your ministry.
Cheyenne,
I feel exactly the same – I know I’m saved, but in Lysa’s terms, I crave so much more in my relationship with the Lord. I will continue to search and learn to hear His voice. I sometimes wish He would just post a billboard to me on the way to work with bold letters telling me exactly what path I should choose! I’ve made so many bad choices that the guilt sometimes overwhelms the mercy.
May you have joy and blessings in your journey to know Him also.
I am praying for Lois and her husband–
Father, Father God this dear man needs you to be His daddy.
He needs to be able to curl up in your lap and cry out his pain.
Give him the opportunity to experience the great love you have for him.
Silence the voice of the enemy that keeps bringing up the past and taunting him with it. Free him from pain and hoplessness that things will never change.
Give Lois the words to pray and speak over his life daily that will bring your
life and love in abundance to this man. Encourage Lois as she loves this man with your love.
I pray in the mighty name of our God who does not fail.
i am praying for MJ who knows the Lord but needs to feel Him especially this week – i pray You will pull her in close, break the cycle of dependence on food and fill it with You.
This is a blessing to read…
Amen and I say Amen to what you just wrote~~~~~~all God wants is us!