Less of me, more of Him

I am currently reading John Piper's Desiring God. Piper's message is simple; yet, if you have ever read anything by Piper, he can be anything but simple. So far, God has challenged me through Piper's own obedience in worship. His thesis: "God is not worshiped where he is not treasured and enjoyed . . . . To say to Him that something else satisfied you more is the opposite of worship" (22).

God has been dealing me for quite some time on this question: Am I your one consuming passion? If I were to be honest with myself and God, I would say "No." There are other things that compete for my affection (food, TV, leisure, sleep, work, etc.). In my mind, I desire that God be my one consuming passion, desire to delight in Him as Psalm 37:4 commands. However, my heart has not yet gotten with the program. I need daily fillings of His spirit.

Piper goes on to add that as believers we must "embrace Jesus gladly as [our] most valued treasure" (54). My desire is for Christ to be the center of my affections. My prayer is that this blog will offer up such affections, to glorify Him in word and deed. In Matthew 5:14-16, Christ teaches His disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can not be hidden. . . . Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deed and praise your Father in heaven." The ultimate goal of this blog is to bring Him praise and glory, to worship Him. I want these musings to Reflect His Light, to express His love and grace, and to edify and encourage others.

To that end I will journal and reflect on where God is leading me, where I need to submit and what I need to give over to Him, what areas of my life are more satisfying than Him, a place to over prayers of repentance, praise, and thanksgiving, an opportunity to offer observations about key learnings from scripture, applications from Sunday School and corporate worship. I truly want to empty my self so that I can genuinely and authentically worship--less of me and more of Him.

At the same time, I want to invite friends and family to journey with me, not to hold up or find value in what I write, but to collectively worship The One True King. Sing with me, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."

(Image taken from Excellence in Christian Design)