Editor's note: Yesterday, we shared a devotion from Come Close to Jesus by Lysa TerKeurst. You can read it here and then continue reading below.
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Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” — John 4:13-14
There’s a simple yet dangerous script many of us play in our minds, one that holds us back from feeling fulfilled in our relationship with God. It’s a script tangled in a lie that typically goes something like this: I could really be happy and fulfilled if only I had... a job I loved... a skinnier body... more money... nicer things... a baby... a boyfriend or husband... a bigger social following...
We all have a version of this script — the result of gaps in our lives, places that feel empty, as if we’re missing some crucial piece of the puzzle of our lives.
I don’t know what your “if only I had” statements are, but I do know that none of them will bring fulfillment. And if we aren’t careful, we may find ourselves praying more for our “if only I hads” than we’re praying to have more of Jesus.
It’s okay to desire these things, but we shouldn’t tie our contentment, security, or identity to them. They can bring moments of happiness, but they can never bring lasting fulfillment or worth, and they certainly can’t bring purpose.
We were created for God, so when His Word gets inside us, it not only fills us; it also transforms us.
It becomes the new way we process life, rearranging our desires, our motives, our thoughts, and our needs. The more of God we have, the less we need from this world.
Take a quick inventory of your “if only I had” list. Release whatever you’re clinging to and ask God to replace it with a deeper desire for relationship with Him.
Lord, I have longed for so many things, thinking if only I had them, I’d be happy. I’ve let them consume my thoughts, steering me away from You and causing me to be envious of other people. I release these thoughts and ask You to sift them. Replace them with the things You want me to desire. Make me thirsty for You because only You can quench my thirst in a way that satisfies forever. Fill me with Your truth. Help me stop the “if only I had” cycle and transform my thoughts by the renewing of my mind through You.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer in Action
On the left side of a piece of paper, write down your “if only I had” statements. Then across from each item, write an item you can be thankful for. For example, if you write “more updated house” on the left, across from it write, “Thank You, Lord, for the home I do have.”
Watch the Video
Excerpted with permission from Come Close to Jesus by Lysa TerKeurst, copyright Lysa TerKeurst Florida LLC.
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Your Turn
What are your “if only I hads”? What do you need to let go of today? What might change if you prayed for more of Jesus instead? ~ Devotionals Daily
