Would You Rather?
“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ”
Philippians 3:8
As I journeyed through my years of healing, one of the things I had to realize was that I had chosen so many other things for fulfillment over Jesus. My life revealed this in many ways, yet, I didn’t recognize it because I was blinded by comfort and complacency. We often think we are living good and right because we are checking all the good christian boxes, but the reality is how our lives reflect it. Does your life reflect that you choose Jesus above all, that you’d rather Him than any other thing in your life?
It begins with asking yourself if you’d rather have Jesus over anything and being honest in evaluating if your life reflects that. What is your grip tightly placed around right now? Is it your job, your friends, your marriage, your children, or Jesus? Ouch, I don’t know about you, but that stepped on my toes.
Ask yourself:
Do I give Him as much time as I do everything else?
Do I run to Jesus in times of heartache, confusion, or anger?
Do I praise Him in the goodness that happens and honor Him in everything I do – even in the mundane of everyday life?
Would I rather be led by His nail-pierced hands or led by the approval and accolades of others?
If you are like me, you want to say and boldly believe the answer is a resounding yes! But, is it really? Is it yes every minute of every hour, every second of every minute? Our lives can become overwhelmingly busy and often Jesus is the first to get demoted in our day-to-day.
In order to truly say “I’d rather have Jesus,” we have to rightly understand why we’d rather have Him. We need to understand that He is better than anything. He is better than anything we feel, anything we want, anything we think brings fulfillment. We would rather have Him when we “consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..…consider everything rubbish, that you may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8 paraphrased)
When we would rather have Jesus over anything, our lives are a banner of His love and grace.
We have to let Him lead our lives no matter what that means.
When He asks us to do something we really don't understand - we do it because:
I’d Rather Have Jesus.
When He asks us to let go of something we really want to cling to - we do it because:
I’d Rather Have Jesus.
When we are in the depths of heartache and confusion - we praise Him still because:
I’d Rather Have Jesus.
When we are so busy we can’t find the time to spend in His Word, we find the time because:
I’d Rather Have Jesus.
Sometimes it’s easier said than done, and sometimes it’s uncomfortable, but it is all worth it. Nothing is better, even if at the moment something may feel better. Oh, the greatness of contentment, joy, and peace we receive when we choose Him over everything. When we decide we’d rather have Him than anything. When we choose to be “true to His Holy Name.”
An old hymn should be the echo of our hearts as we journey this life. Read and steep on these words today and let Him lead you. I’d rather have Jesus today and every day, may my life be a reflection of that.
I’d Rather Have Jesus by Rhea Miller MUSIC WRITTEN BY: George Beverly Shea
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.
Than to be a king of a vast domain Or be held in sin’s dread sway, I’d rather have Jesus than anything This world affords today.
I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.
He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.
