"God, bring me closer to You.... whatever it takes."
Francis Chan challenges his readers to ask God to bring them closer to him, whatever it takes.
This statement really hit home with me, I ask God to bring me closer to Him constantly... but do I truly mean that I want to be closer to Him no matter what it takes, no matter how uncomfortable that it could be, or no matter what I lose in the process. Until I recited these words, "whatever it takes", I don't believe I truly understood what I was asking God to do in my life.
It's scary to ask God to do whatever it takes to get your full attention, because there is no limit to what that might mean. Would I be more focused on my comfortable way of life, or would I let God get my attention by taking some of my comforts away? I don't know, I want to say that I would be open to God working in my life even if it meant being uncomfortable... but I don't know. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that God has to make us uncomfortable to get our attention. However, if there are more people out there like me (and I am sure there are), becoming comfortable with wear we are often distracts me from further pursuing God in my life. I don't necessarily want to be uncomfortable, but I want to be closer to Him... even if it means being uncomfortable.
I heard a friend of mine's band on the radio the other day, they recently released their new single, "You Can Have Me" by the Sidewalk Prophets. I never listened to the lyrics that closely but when I sat there listening... I realized it was talking about the exact same thing I had been thinking about.
The Lyrics-
If I saw You on the street
And You said come and follow me
But I had to give up everything
All I once held dear and all of my dreams
Would I love You enough to let go
Or would my love run dry
When You asked for my life
CHORUS:
When did love become unmoving?
When did love become unconsuming?
Forgetting what the world has told me
Father of love, You can have me
You can have me
Jesus wants all of me, not just bits and pieces... But am I willing to give up everything for Jesus if God asked me to... Or would I be okay if God took everything away to get my attention? Or as the song puts it, "Would I love Him enough to let go, or would my love run dry, when He asked for my life?"
I want to say that I am rooted enough in Christ that I could let go, I hope it never comes down to it... but when I ask God to draw me closer to Him, whatever it takes... I want to mean it.
God, bring me closer to You, whatever it takes.... Father of Love, you can have me.
Matthew 4:19
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
