The Life

Written By: Remaliah Evans

The difference between the life I want and the life I have is this: the life I want is all about what I want, it is not about what I need.

How many times have we seen people that seem to have everything? The fulfilling career or ministry, the perfect home, an adoring husband, and their kids are angelic beings. They have the education, and success is their way of life. Yet, they are not happy. We think to ourselves how can Patty Perfect have everything and not be happy?

Well, we do not know if they are dealing with depression, an eating disorder, or an addiction. We do not know if they are workaholics, alcoholics, or suicidal. They are unhappy because they are searching and/or trying to cope to no avail. When we have the things that we thought would bring us joy and fulfillment, but we do not have an intimate relationship with Jesus, we become painfully aware that something is missing, something just isn’t right.

What’s missing? What’s not right? When Jesus is not a part of our daily lives we are missing unconditional love, we are missing acceptance, and we are missing peace. What’s not right is that we have no one to heal our heart and no one to make us whole. And so we search for someone to love us unconditionally. We eat, escape, exercise excessively, or smoke to relieve the pain. All the while Jesus stands at the door of our heart and knocks.

Jesus is knocking and we are distracted by what we want, distracted by the myriad of people and commitments that vie for our attention, distracted because we are searching for something to dull the pain and meet the need. But the “something” is a Someone. The One we search for is Jesus; He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the lover our souls. He is our advocate. He is our healer. He is our intercessor. He is our Father. And He stands at the door of our heart and knocks.

Then we open the door and we let Him into the living room. But Lord, please don’t go into my room until I can clean it up. Oh and the closet, um, I’ll… there’s no need go in there. Here’s the thing: the Lord already knows what is in our room and in the closet. John 3:17 says that Jesus was not sent to condemn us, He was sent to save us. It is safe to let Him into the dark places of our lives and submit those areas to Him. Jesus brings truth, forgiveness, healing, and peace.

Our relationship with Jesus should grow after we accept Him as Lord and Savior. Colossians 2:6-7 Amplified Version reads “As you have therefore received Christ, even Jesus the Lord, so walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Have the roots of your being firmly and deeply planted in Him, fixed and founded in Him, being continually built up in Him…” We need this constant connection to Christ, we have been created to walk with and abide in Christ, and when we don’t, we feel the void.

 As I make my list of what I want for my life, God faithfully reminds me to seek Him. I can be the best-selling author, wealthy, married in a mansion and driving my McLaren, but if I have no walk with Jesus, I would not know joy or peace because I would be missing the One I need.