I love Jesus. And every time I let Him, He gives me more and more reasons to fall head over heels in love with Him. The latest reason is so simple that I can’t believe I haven’t thought about it before, but it’s so profound (at least to me).

I have a friend who is going through something in her life. I am trying hard to be there for her, but at times, it feels like my own concerns and life gets pushed to the background so that we can focus on her. I get frustrated at times. I try to be understanding, but I’m human and I need support from my friends too, and so I get frustrated.

Here’s the cool thing: God knows our hearts. He knows us so well that He knows exactly what we focus on in life, things that could potentially distract us from Him, and He uses them to help us grow in spite of ourselves. He doesn’t require us to be perfect; He just requires that we grow in Him. That’s why the criteria to get into Heaven is simply belief in Jesus. There are a few other passages thrown in there to show us that ‘belief’ is not a passive thing, and it’s not a stagnant thing. It evolves as we evolve in Christ, and our walk and actions need to reflect it. It’s a vague requirement – it leaves us room to grow.

We all have these areas we harbor, these desires we hold on to so tight, these thoughts that consume our conversations and our daydreams. And guess what? God knows about them. Even if we try to hide, He knows. Even if we turn them into reasons to pray and fast, He knows. He knows us that well. And He takes these areas, and works in them so that in spite of ourselves, we still grow. If He knows we are focused on a certain thing, say a relationship or a job (and He does!), He lets us come to Him in fast and prayer. He doesn’t condemn us for distraction; rather, He lets us take this desire in our heart and depend on Him for it.

He loves us enough to work in us anyway, and to not write us off, even when we are focused on everything else. Some lessons may be hard for us to learn, but through them all He is there.

So take a moment to praise our Savior. Look at the areas in our lives we fantasize about, things we don’t want to give up. And let God into them. It doesn’t always have to be one or the other. You don’t always have to kill your desires in order to please God. Let Him in, so He can work in you and move in you whatever your desires are. And praise Him because He is a mighty God who can!

God bless!

~Rebekah A