Fall in Love with Jesus First

We all know I love goals. Working toward achieving something is a great part of life; but it's not all of it. As Emily Freeman says, I want my life to be a lyric, not a list. I don't want to just check off my activities and go on like that's enough. It's not. I want to really live.  I want a joyful life. 

Joy is found in Christ. It is only by falling in love with Jesus that I will experience the fullness of life. That I will find joy in this work I have been given. That I will live with purpose and not simply check off my list. 

photo courtesy of christian meyn/freedigitalphotos.net

Psalm 16:11 says, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." God's presence is where joy is. God is with me all the time. Do I realize it? 

Are you growing weary and cold? Are you overwhelmed by your list, you work, your rhythm? Fall in love with Jesus. Spend time with Him reading His Word. Ask Him to renew your love for Him. Talk to Him. Listen to sermons. Fill your home and mind with music that reflects Jesus.  Jesus is joy. Finding Jesus is the only way to experience life. 

2 Peter 1:3 says, "According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue." 

God has given everything we need for life. To really live. 

God has given everything we need for godliness. To really live with a purpose. 

I may not know what your purpose is but I do know how you can find it. We find everything we need for life and godliness through knowing God. That is my one true goal this year. I want to know God. I don't want to read my Bible because it's a habit, although that's good. I don't want to read my Bible so I can mentally cross it off my list. I want to read my Bible to know God- to understand His heart. I want to learn to care about what He cares about. 

But learning His Word is just the first step. I also need to learn what He says about my work. The end of that verse in 2 Peter tells us that God has called us to something. Glory can be defined as "honor or excellence." I want excellence in my work. I want to pursue being better at what I do. Virtue is also excellence or moral goodness. God cares about how I do my work so He left plenty of instructions

Fortunately, He left more than instructions; He also left divine power. He "hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." The next verse notes that we are given "exceeding great and precious promises."  And I find that, again, through knowing God. The Bible is full of instructions on marriage, mothering, homemaking, soul-winning, working at church, being a friend, etc. It's all in there if I will just fall in love with Jesus and learn it. 

God wants my heart. I want to give it to Him. He doesn't need my list as much as He needs me to listen. 

Fall in love with Jesus every morning. Be a woman of the Word and then get up and be a woman of your work.