When I reflect back on my early years of following Jesus, I was influenced greatly by others who had been transformed by their faith in Him. My spiritual hunger was frequently determined by the righteous behavior of people who had a deeper and more intimate walk with the Lord. It didn’t matter to me what brand of Christianity they were identified with as long as their form of faith motivated me to have a closer walk with Him. When something in their belief wasn’t consistent with my understanding of what I believed to be true, I trusted the Holy Spirit to help me sort it out. The sermons to which I listened, the books I read and the Bible studies I attended greatly influenced my walk with God. At a certain point something happened that gave me a deep desire to abandon everything and pursue a deeper relationship with Him. I began to realize that there were many things in my life that were hindering me from drawing closer to the Lord. It wasn’t until my hunger for fellowship with Him became greater than the pain of sacrificing things I treasured that I was able to surrender new areas of my life to Him and find the joy of deeper communion. I pray that God will continue to transform my desires as I discover myself delighting in objects of this world more than Him.
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:3-4 NIV
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:1-2