Yes, when we pray, we call Him Lord. But as we live, is He really Lord in our hearts? The words of our mouths do not tell the whole story. There is a depth in most of our hearts to which Jesus’ Lordship does not go. As much as we call Him Lord, most of us have held back a corner of our heart to ourselves. His Lordship extends only so far.
The good news is, God’s Holy Spirit is continually working in us and through us to bring us to maturity as Christ desires. The Bible calls the Holy Spirit’s work, Sanctification. He is working to extend the Lordship of Jesus to every inch of our lives.
This work is a contentious process. You see, we want the benefits that come from being a devoted followers of Jesus – such as salvation, peace, joy, and the like – but we also want to retain a little autonomy as well.
Yes, we have internal struggles that our friends and family do not see. There are places in our hearts that we guard, holding the Holy Spirit at a distance. Our flesh likes to control the tempo of our devotion and dedication to Jesus.
“In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” (1 Peter 3:15)
To the extent that we restrict the Holy Spirit’s work in us, we’re establishing our lives on a false idea – that we have the right to govern ourselves, even after we supposedly gave our heart to Jesus. The truth is it is an unwise position to try to manage Jesus’ Lordship over us. In fact, He isn’t our Lord at all when we control even a portion of our lives. It’s Just An Illusion.
So, is Jesus Lord of 100 percent of our heart? Our thoughts, our behaviors, our dreams – are they ours or His? What corners of our being have we retained for ourselves? Whatever they are, in reality they are footholds for the enemy and safe haven for the sinful flesh.
Jesus desires more of us than we have given Him to this point. He wants it all. This seems like a painful surrender to us, but from His perspective, it is a very good day when we wholeheartedly give our all to Him. Blessing is the result.
And here’s the best part, Jesus is trustworthy with everything we give Him and will manage our lives better than we ever have. Let us at no point resist His work in us. Let us truly set Him apart as The Lord of our lives.
Have a wonder-filled weekend. Make it better by worshiping The Lord with those who see God’s Spirit working in their lives and let Him have His way because they have learned that’s when life is at its best.
All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.
