“You Are Number Three”
Last week, I posted a blog called “How Far Is Too Far?†It was a summary of a message I gave to Seacoast students on the topic of purity. What a difficult subject in the first place, much less trying to teach this topic to middle school and high school students.
As I prepared the message, God showed me that instead of people asking the question “What should I NOT be doing?â€, people should be asking the question “What should I be doing?â€Â What should you and I be doing in our lives that will not only help us to remain pure, but will bring honor and glory to God…our ultimate purpose?
As I processed that question, the first point of the message came to me quickly.
Above all else…
I should be pursuing Jesus more than anyone else.
This statement sounds so simple, right? If you are a Christ-follower, then you know that Jesus should be your number one focus. We know that we should be pursuing Jesus far more than anyone else and yet, many times, we find ourselves so consumed with another person, that Jesus is an afterthought, at best.
I remember when Sara and I first started dating and I began saying some pretty crazy things to her. I told her, before we ever dated, that if she dated me, she must understand that I was dating her with the intent to marry her. Did I mention she was a sophomore…in high school?! J
But, that probably wasn’t the craziest thing that I told her. I wanted her to understand where she stood on my priority list. So I would tell her, pretty regularly, that she was number three on my priority list. Yes, number THREE!!!
She needed to know that God/Jesus was first, ministry was second and she was third. I know what some of you are saying…why would any girl stick with a guy who puts them third on their priority list? Well, in my defense, I did tell Sara that once we were married, that ministry would be third and she would be second. That way she had something to look forward to. J
But, she needed to know that she was going to be, and would always be, second in my life. Why? Because Sara didn’t create me, God did (Revelation 4:11). Sara didn’t prepare in advance all the good things that I would do, God did (Ephesians 2:10). Sara didn’t die for me so that I could have eternal life, Jesus did (Romans 6:23). Sara couldn’t promise that she would never leave me, whether by choice or by death, but God promises (Hebrews 13:5).
God has done and will do a lot of things that Sara could never do; therefore, I should never allow myself to pursue her more than I pursue Jesus. If I do, if I pursue Sara, or anyone else, more than I pursue Jesus, a few things will happen.
       1.      I will never find fulfillment
We all crave fulfillment in life and many times we seek for it in the wrong places. Since God made you and God has a purpose for you, He is the only one who can give you the fulfillment you are longing for. No man. No woman. No job. No amount of twitter followers. Nothing will fulfill you but Jesus.
       2.       I will be disappointed
As much as I love my wife, as thankful as I am for her, as blessed as I am to have her beside me in life, there are still times where she disappoints me. That is what people do. We disappoint one another because we still have this deep issue called sin. As long as you are putting all your energy into pursuing a person, there will be disappointment…no matter how great they are or how hot they are or how much like Jesus they are. They are not Jesus and they will disappoint you.
       3.      I will seek to please the CREATION over the CREATORÂ
If I am pursuing Sara more than God, then I will seek to please her more than God. God is the creator of all things and he should be sought more than anything else, no matter how satisfying the creation may be…He is the ultimate satisfier.
No matter if you are single, dating, engaged or married…my prayer is that we would all learn to pursue Jesus more than anyone else. If we do, we will find fulfillment, we will never be disappointed and we will please the Creator, rather than the creation.
What results have you seen from pursuing someone more than Jesus?
July 31st, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Kelly and I, (Kelly being my wonderful girlfriend) had this same conversation early in our relationship, a consistent theme in our relationship actually. It just isn’t fair for a woman to think any differently than the truth, God comes first, the ministry second, and her third. A firm third, but third. Then when marriage happens, she gets to be second. A firm second, but knowing sometimes God is going to need us to lead and live sacrificially for His Kingdom, not just my job.
It’s created in us a sense of purpose. A couple on mission, instead of having mission and our relationship. It’s made the labor of a sunday or a student trip nearly romantic. It’s put energy in places that usually lack it.
That said, sometimes we get it wrong. We focus so strongly on getting to the next step we falter in the present and priorities get muddy. It’s easy to lose perspective when we allow priorities to get cloudy or interchangeable. When our priorities our cloudy we stop guarding our hearts and minds against sin. When we stop guarding, we find ourselves in positions that allow temptation. In previous relationships it was always a struggle.
July 31st, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Ernest, love the message and the lesson It is certainly much easier to enter through the narrow gate when our focus is on our relationship with God.
I had to tell my son recently that he was fourth. That rocked his world, but it also made me realize that my actions in the first seven years of his life should have made that more clear to him.
I am privileged to have been able to watch you become the man that you are.
Love you brother,
Mike
August 5th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Thanks Mike. It has truly been my honor to know you and to call you friend. Thankful for you.