Transparent Freedom

fix: fasten securely in a particular place or position

every, single time chloe needs something, she sits & looks straight at me

she will sit

& sit

& stare

& sit

until i give her whatever it is she needs,

and then she runs off & does her own thing.

isn’t it true this is what we do?

when we need something.

when we “need” more money

or more comfort

or more peace

or more clothes

or more anything,

when we are in need…

it is easy to “stare” at God-

to go to Him, and plead for grace with faith.

but how about when we don’t “need” anything?

i know this is typically when i run off & do my own thing.

God has been very good to me lately in showing me what my “needs” truly are,

and i’ll give you a snippet…

for me, they do not include:

clothing,

money,

security,

a plan.

rather, they include:

Jesus.

now don’t get me wrong.

i fall daily into the lie of “needing” all those other things,

with the help of societal pressures, evil, and my own sinful nature.

but that’s ok,

because Jesus died on the cross,

trumping all of that,

and more.

if i know my needs in my head…how do i make that true in my heart?

there was a wonderful sermon (fearing and fighting unbelief) i heard yesterday on this exact topic,

but basically…

pray the word.

so, if you struggle with keeping your eyes on Jesus when you don’t “need” anything,

pray these with me,

beg God for an understanding,

a heart understanding,

plead with Him to make these words a reality,

who you are;

and “the things of this world will grow strangely dim”:

deuteronomy 11:18

fix these words of mine in your hearts & minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

psalm 141:8

but my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord; in you i take refuge-do not give me over to death.

isaiah 46:8-9

remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.  remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.

2 corinthians 4:18

so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

hebrews 3:1

therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

hebrews 12:2

let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

what do you fix your eyes on in ‘good’ times? ‘bad’ times?