obsessing about Jesus

I am a very focused person. I admit it. It can be a great strength, but also sometimes, a great weakness.

However, there is one focus that I know God approves of. It's an obsession with Jesus Christ. Becoming consumed to the point that everything in my life is about Jesus - not about balancing my life or adding a little religion.

Wilbur Rees writes,

"I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.
Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep
but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine.
I don’t want enough of him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant.
I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth.
I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack.
I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please."

I was reading some stuff today from Frances Chan, and it really spoke to me.

He says:

"A lot of people come to church for the wrong reasons. They don't come because they want to know Jesus; they come because they want something from him. Did you come here for him? Maybe you didn't. Maybe you came because of something else. We're glad you're here.

But the question is, once you get here, what are you after? What makes you come back? Churches fill their rooms every week with promises of money or health. People go to church "if God will heal me." People go to church "if God will heal my child." People go to church "if God will get me a job in this economy."

Overseas, this heresy is being preached all over. In impoverished nations preachers are promising people that if they follow Jesus, he'll make them rich.

So, people are coming to church in droves, thinking, I'll take Jesus if he'll make me rich. I'll take Jesus if I get to keep all the things I have. I'll take Jesus if I get to maintain this lifestyle.

I'll take Jesus if I get to hold on to some of these sins, these immoral relationships. I'll take Jesus if I can still be popular, still have this, still have that.

The biblical gospel has never been about "I'll come to Jesus if … ." The biblical gospel has always been about "I'll follow Jesus even if … "—even if I lose my family. Even if my health deteriorates. Even if people are throwing rocks at me.

Even if I lose everything I own. I still want Jesus, because he's that great. That's the biblical gospel. We have found a treasure in Jesus Christ that is so wonderful that with great joy we say, "Take everything. I don't care.

It's just a big load of crap anyway."

We have found a treasure in a field so wonderful, that we can hardly believe it. We say, "Are you telling me I can have a relationship with the Creator of the universe? That he'll forgive me of everything I've ever done? That he'll welcome me into this eternal kingdom? Give it to me!

Give it to me, and take everything else! As Paul says: I've lost everything, but I don't really care. Because there's a surpassing greatness to knowing Jesus, and I am consumed with knowing him. While others are focused on what they can do by their own power, I'm looking for a greater power. I want to know the power of Jesus' resurrection."

I can't help but get a little teary eyed as I read that. So many times, in so many ways I fall short of a complete obsession with Christ. But I want to.

I want to be obsessed with Jesus. And somehow, someway, I think that God's okay with that. I think he's okay with the fact that in my wanting there is a certain amount of peace and even godly joy.....and someday I will be in heaven completely focused on Him.