“I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all of your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
- Matthew 19:20-22
Sometimes we can do everything we feel like we're supposed to do, and it is still not enough for God to take us to the next step. Like the rich man in this parable, we tend to strive to obey all of God’s commandments, but in the process, we ignore the specific instructions we are given. The Lord called the rich man to prepare his heart to sacrifice his physical possessions and follow God. This piece of instruction was particularly difficult for the rich man because his heart was centered around his possessions, and Jesus knew that.
Although there are general commandments we are all supposed to obey, it is important that we listen for the specialized instructions God gives to us individually. The idol for the rich man was wealth, but for each of us, this may be different. Maturing in our faith entails striving beyond “doing everything right." This doesn’t always mean making a drastic change to our life, but instead making a commit to listen to His specific instructions for us.
Jesus knew the rich man’s possessions held his heart and until he could give them up, he couldn't follow Him. The Lord knows our hearts better than we do, and because of this, He gives us specific instructions to obey. I’ve always loved watching TV and I’m a sucker for binge-watching. When I’m having a bad day or just want to unwind, I put on my favorite tv series, and instantly my mood changes. However, sometimes when God wants to communicate with me, TV can be a distraction. During tough seasons in my life, I tend to find comfort in watching my favorite series and movies for hours. As I went through a difficult time last summer, I found myself staying in bed all day, trying to seek joy through my usual coping mechanism. But there came a point where watching tv no longer gave me comfort. Even though I was making an effort to pray and complete devotionals, I still felt far from God.
In that season, I knew it was time for me to do a fast from TV because it was interfering with my relationship with Him. I felt as though I was doing everything right but yet I was ignoring the key piece of instruction God was giving me. When I finally decided to listen to His instruction, I went on a fast from television from 6 am-6 pm every day for 2 months. In those two months, the Lord started to completely renew my mind and my relationship with Him started to grow stronger. This fast allowed me to dedicate 12 hours every day to spending intimate time with God without my biggest distraction. He made me give up the one thing I was dependent on for comfort because he needed more from me.
Even though before I started my fast, I felt like I was “doing everything right,” I was not doing what God specifically asked me to do. My healing depended on following his simple instruction but that was difficult for me. However, if I wanted to follow the Lord’s plan for my life I needed to give up what was taking over my heart for a while. When God wants more, it is because there is something in us He needs to change. The rich man needed to get rid of his possessions, so he learned how to place more value on His relationship with Jesus and less on material items.
Throughout the week, take some time to evaluate whether or not you are listening to God’s instructions. The Lord loves when we create consistency with Him but sometimes He disrupts our routine to push us into spiritual maturity. So pay attention to areas in your life where your spirit feels thirsty or you feel a tug from the Lord. It’s one thing to read the word and pray consistently, but it is another thing to act on the word God gives you personally for your life. Are you willing to give up your version of the rich man’s possessions to receive the treasure God has waiting for you?
Xoxo,
Girl with Grace
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