II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 37 - "Only Jesus"

I woke up with lyrics to "Only Jesus" that Casting Crowns sings. This song touched my heart as I have recently read about Christian leaders struggling and some even falling.

I don't want to leave a legacy
I don't care if they remember me
Only Jesus

Life cannot and should not be about what we can attain but rather needs to be about what God can do through us. Life is not about numbers but souls. Too many times church leaders get caught up in the numbers game. They feel the need to boast about what is happening in 'their' church. Nothing we have is ours. Everything is God's. Whether we are a pastor or a lay person, it is essential this be remembered. I love when someone asks how 'their' church is doing and the response comes out about the spiritual health and not numbers. If a church has a decline in attendance, it does not mean it is failing. There are a variety of reasons for decline. Deaths, people moving, etc. can make numbers drop but once again it is not about numbers but the spiritual condition of the people. This song continues...

All the kingdoms built, all the trophies won
Will crumble into dust when it's said and done
But all that really matters
Did I live the truth to the ones I love
Was my life the proof that there is only One
Whose name will last forever

This makes me think of the saying that goes something like 'the person with the most toys wins.' How sad to think of people believing this. Life should not be about stuff but instead about Jesus. That does not mean that stuff is bad because Jesus blesses us as we bless Him. He gives us the desires of our hearts when they fall in His will. Psalm 37:1-5 reads in The Passion Translation:

Don’t follow after the wicked ones or be jealous of their wealth.
Don’t think for a moment they’re better off than you.
2 They and their short-lived success
will soon shrivel up and quickly fade away
like grass clippings in the hot sun.
3 Keep trusting in the Lord and do what is right in his eyes.
Fix your heart on the promises of God and you will be secure,
feasting on his faithfulness.
4 Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life,
and he will provide for you what you desire the most.
5 Give God the right to direct your life,
and as you trust him along the way
you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly!

We must ask ourselves regularly if we are living out Jesus' love or are we falling into the traps of the enemy. Are we following His will or going along in life doing what we desire? Are we not only in a relationship with Him where we hear His voice but also following what He says? Do people see Him through our words, actions, and attitude? I sure hope I am living out the proof that there is only One whose name will last forever. I do not want to miss any opportunity to be Jesus to everyone who crosses my path. Yesterday as we walked into the oncologist waiting room I saw a young Marine sitting alone. Immediately, God told me to pray with him. I sat down and prayed and God told me that He had not told me to just pray but to pray with him. So I went over and asked him if I could pray with him and his response was "yes ma'am" with a nervous smile on his face. I asked him his name and then prayed. He had tears in his eyes that he tried to hide. I have no idea what he was there for but I do know Jaylin appreciated my prayers. I thought about how it may be his first time being alone for a doctor appointment so I prayed for his family too. I gave him my card and told him if he ever needed anything to please contact me. I may never see that young man again on this earth but I know I shared Jesus' love with him yesterday in a way he needed. I did not have to ask if he was in relationship with God because I knew it in my spirit. I was going to ask but God assured me Jaylin was fine in that area of his life. Praise God for this opportunity! I love living in a military town where God opens doors for such encounters. I knew within a short time after moving here He was going to use me with military and their families. I wish I would have kept track of all of the encounters He has presented to me over the last three years. I'm not talking about numbers but about lives God has influenced through me. The only way for Him to be able to have me be open to the opportunities He gives me is for me to live out II Timothy 1:7.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the opportunity to be You to this young Marine yesterday! Thank You for keeping my eyes open to what You had in store for me! Father, cleanse me so You can fill me up with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You ooze out of me in a way that will allow people to see/hear You instead of me today. Thank You for Doc's chemo yesterday. May You strengthen him physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and most of all spiritually as he deals with the side effects. Thank You for us finding out the next step with the scan after next week's chemo. Thank You for the rest You provided for me last evening and the nine plus hours of sleep last night. Lord, I pray for a continuation of Your blessing on my physical body throughout these tough days. I'm feeling drained but may You continue to be my Strength. Father, open doors that need opened and close doors that need closed throughout this day. Thank You Jesus for being My Forever! Amen.