“She Has Chosen What is Better”

Love is the most powerful motivator in the world. It spurs mortals to greatness. Their noblest and bravest acts are done for love. – Rick Riordan

A couple of weeks ago I was driving on the way to church and happened to look in my rear view mirror. Suddenly, I had an overwhelming sense of deja vu, my mind replaying a hurtful situation. It wasn’t a coincidence. It was the Enemy. Playing games with my mind. He took that split second of opportunity to stir up a pot of raw emotions.

As I focused once again on the road in front of me I felt the Lord vie for my attention. A deep still whisper in my soul.

Will you choose me?

It’s either Me or that (hurt, habit, hang-up). There is no more in-between living. You can own that (hurt, habit, hang-up) or you can own Me. Which, who, will it be?

In that moment the Lord drew a line in the sand. I could no longer dabble with that (hurt, habit, hang-up) and still draw deeper in connection with Him. He drew the line and the choice was mine. If I truly wanted to go deeper, go beyond the surface with Him, go further in my intimate knowledge and relationship with Him – He needed to heal some things. He needed to clean up some things. He needed to create a new heart and spirit within me so I would wholeheartedly desire to seek Him. If I wanted to know and experience His Living Presence so powerfully, He wanted me to truly uncover myself before Him.

The excuses for that (hurt, habit, hang-up) could no longer work. He saw my heart and lovingly but firmly confronted me on it. He is jealous for His Bride. We can not serve two masters. And that rear view mirror exposed some things that He wanted to change.

This moment sat with me for a couple of weeks. This past Sunday the sermon was on being aware of God at all times. The pastor spoke about how he and his wife do not like being apart from each other and have only been separated a handful of times in their 42 years of marriage. I sighed, because in this season of our lives, Hawk and I seem to be apart more than we are actually together. The point was  –  he didn’t want to be apart from his wife because he loved her and was captivated by her.

Am I captivated with Christ?

I certainly miss Hawk when he is gone for Army things or business trips. The house does not feel the same without him, because my home is where he is. Do I pay that much attention to my relationship with Christ? Do I miss Him desperately when quality time is lacking? When I haven’t been engaged in deep, daily, intimate communication with Him?

It’s easy to get caught up in the “check-list” faith. Empty Bible study pages can be a good guilty motivator to open up the Bible and fill out the questions. Guilt can motivate us. Fear can motivate us. Hate can motivate us. Insecurity can motivate us. But love, love is the greatest motivator of all.

What else could’ve kept Christ on the cross?

What else could’ve made the disciples follow Him even to their graves?

They were captivated by their True Love. The Lord had won their hearts.

Love is a powerful motivator.

Because if love is our motivation, if Christ holds our heart, attention, desires, and will captive, then maybe we can really be set free from the check-list, do good faith and actually live the abundant free life in Him that He intended.

If love for Him is our motivator, maybe we’ll trade that (hurt, habit, hang-up) that we feed instead of being freed. Because, life can leave us with scars. But instead of rear-view mirror living and rehashing hurt over and over –

• love could melt the hardened heart
• love could keep eyes wide open ahead
• love could break the chains of that (hurt, habit, hang-up)
• love could outweigh the satisfaction those chains give us – because by giving up that (hurt, habit, hang-up) we gain Him. 

Give up that to Gain Him. (Philippians 3:7-8)

The proverbial slap to my conscious was exactly what I needed. If we truly desire to go deeper with God, we need to allow Him to uncover the things we want to cover up, not for the purpose of shame, but so He could then cover our sin with His loving  and costly sacrifice – so we can live abundantly, more like Him, more aware of Him.

No more rear-view living.

Yes, the flesh wars. The battle for our devotion, our passion, our very souls is intense.

But love. Love, is a powerful motivator.

Let Him captivate your every being. That, whatever that hurt, habit, or hang-up is – Give it up. Release it to the One who breaks chains. Because we gain Him in the exchange – and He is so much greater.

She has chosen what is better.  – Luke 10:42