“So don’t worry, saying ‘What will we eat?’ of ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:31-33 HCSB

My husband recently came across a Facebook page that said, “I love you God, bless me.” Now, I can’t judge this person. I don’t know this person. But that statement sums up the way I lived for many years. I professed to love the Lord and wanted Him to bless me and all that I did. I wanted to do it my way and prayed that He would just get on board with it and follow along. I finally realized this is not how it works.

We all want a good life and we all want to be blessed. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that. But our Scripture passages tells us that we must put God first. If we put God first, He will take care of all the rest.

In Matthew 7:14, Jesus says, “How narrow is the gate and difficult is the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Few people are willing to surrender their life to the Lord. We like to think we are in control. We profess to love the Lord, but are unwilling to submit to Him. In order for us to be truly blessed, we have to surrender to the Lord. Sadly, few are willing to do this. Few are willing to give all their sin over to the Lord. Few are willing to give up pleasing others. Many people tell you they don’t care what others think, but they desperately seek the approval of others even if it must be done by joining in on sinful behavior. They don’t care what their Christian friends and family members think. They know they will love them unconditionally. But, they are not so sure about their lost friends and family members, so they seek their approval.

Many of us want to be blessed, we just don’t want to be surrendered. We don’t want to be committed to Christ. When we love the Lord and put Him first in our life, we still have our ups and downs. We are not immune from trials and tribulations. We are just secure in knowing that He is there with us through the fire and the flood.

I spent many years loving the Lord and hoping He would bless me. That didn’t work out so well. You see, the plans I made for me often failed. I couldn’t see my future. I had no idea what lie ahead. But He knows. He knows what will happen in my life one minute from now and ten years from now. If I trust in Him and acknowledge Him in all that I do, He guides my path (Proverbs 3:5-6). When He guides my path, I do well. When I try to lead, not so much.

It’s human nature to want blessings without sacrifice, but it just doesn’t work that way. If you love the Lord, that’s a good start. But do you love Him with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind? Do you acknowledge Him in all that you do? Is it obvious to those around you that you have surrendered your life to the Lord? These are some questions you need to ask yourself. You need to be sure of these things before it’s too late.

God doesn’t promise us a rose garden down here. But He promises eternity in the splendor of heaven with Him and our heavenly Father. In John 16:33 Jesus assures us that here on earth we will have trouble, but He tells us not to worry because He has overcome the world.

Following Jesus may not always leave us feeling blessed down here. We will go through hard times, but it will give us a peace and joy that others can’t comprehend. If you love the Lord, good for you. You’re off to a good start, but it has to be more than a superficial love. You have to put Him first in your life. You have to surrender and submit to Him. He requires this of us. When we do this, we aren’t so concerned with our own well being. We want His will to be done and we want Him to bless others. We know that He’s got us, come what may.

I spent many years selfishly claiming to love the Lord. I just didn’t love Him enough to let go of the deliberate sin in my life. When that sin no longer filled the void, I gave it all over to Him. A decision I have never regretted. I pray that if you have not already done so, you will do the same.

Have a great day!