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“Why do people say, “At last we are free from God, we don’t need Him anymore?” -Jeremiah 2:31

God’s really been checking me on my motives lately. My motives for serving, going into ministry, preaching, making money, networking, the list goes on and on.

Jeremiah 2:31 hit me hard while I was on vacation. One of the things I’ve come to realize is that I’ve been guilty of pursuing the “abundant life” God’s promised us, instead of pursuing the God who provides abundant life.

The result? In our pursuit of the abundant life, we end up pursuing our own provision instead of God’s. This pursuit ultimately leads to the belief that we no longer need God, but that we can, in ourselves, provide our own life of abundance. This belief will lead to lack of direction, confusion, discontentment, not to mention: No peace, no joy, frustration, anger, bitterness, envy, the list goes on and on.

It’s so easy to come to a point in our walk with God where we pursue God for what He can do for us, instead of for who He is and what He has done for us.

But if we’ll be honest with ourselves or travel that path long enough, we’ll recognize that we’re nothing without God, nothing without our pursuit of Him, nothing without our desire to simply serve Him. We’ll never come to a place where we don’t need God.

God keeps bringing me back to a place where I didn’t care if I didn’t care how big of a ministry I served in was, when I didn’t care how big of a network I have, how much money I made, or what title I had, but a place where I trusted Him for all of that and I was so happy just because I knew Him and served Him in anyway I could. 

A place of total dependency on Him. There is no better place to live. Eventually we’ll all recognize that we need God. Our pursuit of anything but Him, will leave us empty and in want.

Pursue HIM with EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT. Only at that moment, will you experience the abundant life He’s provided.

I know when people come to me about issues they’re going through, I want to give them answers, but all too often it’s to impress them rather than actually help them. I started asking myself, “How can I actually help people?” “What will actually get them through this?” At Impartation this year, I got my answer:

I was in a Question and Answer with Keith Moore and he was talking about a certain issue. He said that when the issue came up, he did not know how to minister to the people struggling with that issue, so he asked God. God spoke to his heart and said, “Ask them if they love me and if they’re pursuing me.” If they are, I’ll deal with them about that issue and bring them out of it. If they don’t love me and aren’t pursuing me, they’re not even saved, and that’s an entirely different issue.”

That’s when it hit me:

The answer to what you’re supposed to do with your life is: Pursue God.

The way to break your addiction is: Pursue God.

The way to do well financially is: Pursue God.

The way to have an awesome life is: Pursue God.

Thee answer to everything is: Pursue God.

Now when I’m going through something or someone asks me for advice, I ask, “Do you love God and are you pursuing Him? Are you getting in the Word? Spending time in prayer? Getting quiet before God?”

95% of the time, the answer is, “I haven’t been spending time with God like I should.” Then I know that the only way I’ll get the answer I’m looking for is to spend time with Him.

The Bible says, “If you draw close to God, He’ll draw close to you.” “If you need wisdom, ask God, and He’ll give it to you.” Let’s stop seeking people’s advice and start seeking God’s. Give God a chance! He is thee answer for everything.

This reminds me a lot of this video, Only God is the answer to everything we need:

Thoughts?

Saturday Night’s 19 North Service was one of the most powerful services I’ve been to. I encourage you to watch this short testimony video from Ian at 19 North.

It’s a story about God bringing Ian out of addiction and bondage into a life of freedom. I promise you it will have inspire you and give you hope:

If you’re 18-30 years old, looking for a new beginning, looking for new friends, looking for a family to be a part of, and looking for God, I couldn’t encourage you enough to check out 19 North. It’s a ministry that is changing lives on a weekly basis.