Crayons For Jesus


Saturday, September 13, 2008 Print E-mail
Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing. Proverbs 11:7

While God may place influential people in our lives, we must remember He is the ultimate one we are to follow not them. When we place all of our hopes and base our happiness off of other people's reactions or thoughts about us, we will be sorely disappointed. Human beings are just that: human beings. None of us are perfect and we will all at some point disappoint someone else. Rather than risk severe disappointment and rather than sulk in the disappointment and bitterness of losing people in our lives we should look to the Lord for he will fill all of the gaps in our souls.

Our deepest desires often come from the things we need most. Too often our desire for friendship or romance comes from a soul that is lacking. Instead of looking to the only one who can fill those valleys, God, we chase after people. We follow them and hope that somehow we might learn how they found fulfillment or think that somehow having them in our life might make us whole. While relationships with other humans can be quite fulfilling and enriching in our lives, the potential we think they have to help us dies when they leave us. All the promise we put into others will lead us to disappointment at some point.

Even the people who should be most influential and loving in our lives, our parents, will let us down. Potential for good should not drive us forward and make us chase after others' ways of thinking or coveting their way of life. While it is good to hope for good in a relationship with others, our relationship with them should not be based off of a selfish need to be complete. Healthy relationships are when each party is looking toward the betterment of the other over themselves. We must look to the Lord to fill these needs for he is the only one who can. In order to have healthy relationships and lasting friendships we must look to the object of perfection and the most perfect love and friendship ever: Jesus. He will fill the gaps in our souls and will make it to where our hope doesn't die when friendships end or people leave. He will teach us how to have healthy relationships and therefore how to better serve others.

In order to meet the commandment to serve and love others, we must first serve the Lord. We must first be made complete by him and allow our hearts' desires to be transformed from self-seeking neediness to ones that wish to better others and show them love. We all have made the mistake of putting too much hope in another and we all have experienced the pain and disappointment. Make the decision to go after the one who will never disappoint. Make the decision so you can be made complete and so that your hope will never be cut off. It will equip you to make meaningful relationships and show the Lord's love. Stop chasing others and chase the one who will never pass away. Chase after him and all will fall into place. Allow your motives to be rooted out of love in Christ instead of desperation.

Don't look to man to fill those valleys for when people leave our lives those valleys remain unfilled. Look to the Lord to fill those valleys because he has promised he will never leave us. Stop trying to find a temporary fix for the permanent problems in your soul by chasing after the people and promises of this world. Look to the only permanent force in our lives and therefore the only permanent solution to these problems: Jesus.

Father,
Forgive us for looking to others to solve or fill the voids in our lives. Even after being saved by you we still become distracted. We know that people can be good in our lives and we thank you for those you have blessed us with. We thank you for the true friendships but too often we learn the hard way and experience heartbreak when other's fail us. You Lord, never fail. You Father, never forsake. You Jesus, always provide, heal, and fill us. We pray we chase after you. Help us to look to you, our first and true love, to be made complete. Equip us and show us your love so that we may shine your light. Help us to lead others to you. Forgive us for worshiping others and we pray you will turn our heart's desires back to you continually. We cannot do it without you father. We recognize that and praise you for being a safe place to run to. Forgive us, heal us, teach us. Amen.