Can Jesus Be All We Need Until He Is All We Have?

In Matthew chapter 10 Jesus says the following thing about the persecution of His disciples:  16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Jesus is saying that when the times are the toughest and when the days are the darkest, His followers can depend on Him.  He says that the Holy Spirit will come and give those who need to speak the words to speak.  When Jesus is all that His followers have, He will be enough.

This thought has been rolling around in my head (of which there is much empty room to roll around) for the past few months.  Intellectually, I want to get to a place where Jesus is all that I need….but then I think I need a new shirt or something new for the house or something for the kids or a new friendship.  I long for a total dependence on Jesus but I find myself placing great value on things other than Him.  I long to be able to say, “Jesus is all I need” but now it rings so shallow to me because of all the other “things” that I have.  I’m not advocating that followers of Jesus give up everything they own and sever all of their relationships.  Rather, in my life I’m trying to find a place where all of my things and all of my relationships originate out of a desire to only have Jesus.  Then whatever things and relationships He gives me, will be enough for me.  I would appreciate your prayers for this and if you are feeling like me, let me know and I will also remember to pray for you.  I believe there is a way to say “Jesus is all I need” without literally losing everything else…but I’m struggling to find that way.

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