This statement is one that has been more true of my life than ever before in my relationship with God. Not because I’ve finally arrived at some grand achievement of spirituality, but because I am at a place where I see the value, the beauty, the marvel, the richness, of treasuring Christ above all else.

I certainly don’t do it perfectly 24/7, but I finally see clearly how He must be everything. He must be my life.

I’m an all or nothing type. It has its perks and its faults. I’m not the girl who says, ‘One cookie a day.’ I just binge eat half a carton of ice cream and then don’t eat sugar for a month.

As I continue to grow up and learn more about myself, I see this in other areas also. I like to know 100% why I am doing a particular thing – running, healthy eating, writing, instagramming, etc. I must have a purpose and that purpose must be big enough to motivate me.

However, even while knowing this tendency about myself, I tend to give priority to God and self-image. God and entertainment, God and temporal satisfaction, God and selfishness.

How could I ever thing that would work? Especially being an all or nothing girl.

But, God in His goodness and grace, in my seeking of His help, has redeemed.

This Charles Spurgeon quote is the currently the lock screen of my phone:

If Christ be anything He must be everything.

I have seen that adding things to Jesus to satisfy, energize, and sustain me doesn’t work. It leaves me tired, numb, enslaved to insecurity or worldly approval, even irritable. There’s no other way for me but Jesus being my everything.

Does that mean I treasure Him perfectly every minute of the day? Um, no. Not in this life.

But I’ve seen that it does affect my daily choices. It shapes the kind of faith I live.

When Jesus is treasured above everything else, it’s believing that the thing I’m giving up is a vapor compared to the riches of knowing Him.

I see that my biggest hindrances to strong faith, dying to self and pursuing Him above all else come when my devotion, when my heart, is divided. When it’s being given to this and that, the temporary high, or selfish attitude. It is both heartbreaking and humbling.

And it’s a work of Holy Spirit alone. If not for Him, I would only ever pursue the glory of self. And I still struggle; it’s challenging. Sanctification of my heart relies on daily, hourly, moment-by-moment Divine intervention. But praise the Lord for His tender love and patience.

I pray that my treasuring Him brings Him glory, in whatever shapes in continues to take.

photo via unsplash