“We see Him as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way. We forget that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He’s great and deserves to be the center of our lives…. He never begs us to give Him some small part of ourselves. He commands everything from His followers.” – Francis Chan, Crazy Love

“Holy crap, I suck.” That’s what I said after reading this statement. So often, I’m thrilled with myself when I concede one of my little selfish habits to the Lord. I probably even pat myself on the back. But God shakes his head sadly.

God doesn’t really want use to just stay away from the drugs, sex, and rock-and-roll. And he doesn’t want us to just fight off our selfish desires. God wants to be at the center of who we are.

The truth is, when we concede everything to Jesus and put first his kingdom, our lives become more meaningful and fulfilling than we ever imagine. We no longer worry about our little wants and desires because we are living for something so much bigger than ourselves. We begin to see life’s circumstances and every person (including ourselves) through God’s eyes. And we start living out God’s purposes for each one of us.

That’s the life God wants for us. That’s the life I want to live for myself. And that’s the life I want you to be able to experience.