You may have heard this phrase before: “You have to want it”. It means that in order to really succeed at something you must desire it and put your heart into the pursuit of it. In human terms this can be a beneficial motivational tool for when we set a goal and then do whatever it takes in order to accomplish that goal.
This also applies to our relationship with Jesus and our spiritual growth. In his book Storyline, author Donald Miller says that “God is a great respecter of boundaries”. If we set a limit on how close we want to be to the Lord and put boundaries on our love and devotion to Him then our spiritual growth is going to fade and our relationship to Him is going to stagnate. This happens to us all too often and many times is unintentional. We begin to slip away and falter when our heart’s desire becomes something other than Jesus.
But when we want more of Him, more of His truth and more of His love then He will always gladly give that to us. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8) Notice the steps here that James lays out for us. We must first draw near to God and then ask for forgiveness with a purity of purpose and a heart that is focused on God. Again it comes back to what we most want and most desire.
And what does the Bible call that which we most desire? “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21)
Our heart will always follow our treasure and our treasure, in this context, is that which we most desire. When we desire the Lord above all He will bless us with His presence and we will grow in Christ. When we desire earthly things we may or may not acquire them but we will most definitely miss God’s best for us as we put our time and energy into temporary things that will not last.
That’s not to say that God does not want us to have affection for anyone or anything other than Him. I truly believe that He wants us to live an abundant life here on Earth and if our priority is Him then we will care about and put our time and attention in to things that He cares about. Our God is a God of love and by loving Him above all we will have the strength to love others and to love truly good things.
It takes discipline and focus to maintain a life that is aimed towards God. It is a growing process that takes prayer, bible study, the encouragement of other believers and most of all a fervent desire for God. Never forget, in order to accomplish it you have to want it. You have to want Him. How much of Him do you want?