“Jesus You Alone.” Three simple words. We sing them on Sunday mornings. We pray them in our quiet times with the Lord. But, do we live as if it’s the truth? Surely, we want to live as though it is, but we seem to still desire more.
Recently the Lord has been convicting me of the “stuff” that’s taking up residence in my life. As a recently new homeowner, I see all of the seasonal decorations or the new popular pots or pans, and I somehow convince myself I need it all in order to make my house more like a home. Or how about on Sunday mornings when you see other women at church with the newest trends of clothing, or their hair that’s been curled with the curling iron that so many women are using now. Once I get these things, I will have made it! Right?
Maybe for a little while I will feel caught up and content, but eventually the newness fades and I’m left with “stuff.” Even when I do buy these things, their significance fades and just leaves me wanting better, wanting newer, wanting more.
This “stuff” is nothing more than temporary satisfaction. Sure, home décor and new clothes aren’t sins in and of themselves. But before we know it, we can be quickly taken over by the envy and the idolatry of the importance that we allow these things to have in our lives. Jesus tells a parable that relates to this in the book of Luke. Jesus says, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own” (Luke 12:15, NLT).
How do we live a life that shows that Jesus alone is all that we need?
- Pray before you purchase. God delights in his children coming to him over anything, no matter how small. He will show us what we need or what will eventually just turn into “stuff.”
- Be mindful of what you are allowing your mind to take in. For me personally, social media can be a huge influence on my life. That’s where I see so many of the things I want. It’s an influencer’s literal job to influence you, and many times they are influencing you to do and buy things they recommend. Set boundaries for yourself. Don’t put yourself in a situation that will tempt you.
- Fast from shopping. My pastor always says that fasting is giving up something you love for Someone you love more. The something that I loved was shopping, and I knew that the Lord desired to stretch, grow, and refine me in this area. The fast transformed my relationship with the Lord.
I’d like to acknowledge that fighting this temptation is hard. It goes against our flesh completely. Our sin nature makes us greedy, but we have to seek the Lord. His satisfaction isn’t a temporary pleasure that we put on the shelf and forget about. His satisfaction is endless, bountiful, and more than we could ever want or need.
Jesus, please help me to live knowing that You alone are all I need!