Is what is big to Jesus big to us?
This is one of the core questions that we have been processing in our Essentials Podcast. It is a simple yet deeply challenging question because it forces us to consider the heart behind our innermost desires and values:
Is what Jesus values most, what we value the most?
Does what excites Jesus, excite us?
Does what grieves Jesus, grieve us?
Does what moves Jesus to compassion, move us to compassion?
Does who Jesus loves, change who we love?
Each one of us live our lives out of the desires or values that we hold in our hearts. We make decisions based on the values we hold. We respond to situations out of the desires that are in our hearts.
As Christians, when we come to faith in Jesus, he promises to not only give us new life in him. He promises to give us a new heart with new desires and values. More specifically he promises to give us his perfect and good desires and values. This is the beautiful impact of the Gospel in us: whole-heart transformation.
Through the resurrection power of Jesus, we find that whole-heart transformation is not only possible, but it is how he desires to work in our lives. In 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, the apostle Paul says it this way, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
You see the progression here: We are saved and rescued through faith in Jesus. As we walk with him, we behold his glory more and more. As we behold his glory, we are transformed into the image of Jesus one degree at a time.
Whole heart transformation takes place when we encounter the glorious grace and goodness of Jesus. It is then that we recognize that our desires (or what is big to us) are nothing compared to the desires of Jesus (what is big to him). As we come to this realization we come to Jesus and confess to him our sinful and selfish values; acknowledging that they are centered around us or faith in other things. When we admit our brokenness in this way, we are then able to repent and turn to Jesus by faith to ask him to give us his desires or values. In this way, we become more like him in the innermost part of who we are.
What this means for us is that if we are going to pursue whole heart transformation. We will have to not only discover what is big to Jesus through treasuring him and considering his goodness. We will also have to be honest about the area or parts of our lives where what is big to us doesn’t match up with what is big to Jesus and ask him to change us in deep places.
I would ask you today to consider how you pursue Jesus and whole-heart transformation in your own life and in the life of your church. When you connect with Jesus personally do you find yourself treasuring and worshipping Jesus for his glory? Are there times in your life that you bear your desires and values before the Lord? Are there rhythms of moments in your life when the Lord is leading you toward renewal on a heart level? In your church, does the message speak to and leave space for a heart level response? In the daily life of the people of the church, are Gospel oriented conversations taking place where we remind each other of what is big to Jesus?
Together let’s be a people that treasure Jesus and pursue his beautiful transformation in our lives.