Jesus Over Everything: Uncomplicating the Daily Struggle to Put Jesus First

by Lisa Whittle

for the believer, commitment is the choice to do it Jesus’ way under any circumstance.

He will “make known to me the path of life; in [His] presence there is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11 ESV)? I

first commitment to follow Jesus by way of salvation, the commitment that comes next is to immerse yourself in prayer and the Word and come under the constant influence of the Holy Spirit, and under those terms make daily decisions. Satan makes the process of following Jesus seem far more daunting than it is, so we are afraid to dive in with our whole hearts. We feel defeated before we start, which is his goal, to get us to never start.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (ESV)

1 Peter 1:3–5 in light of this promise that if I choose commitment to God over my mood, the benefit will be His keeping of me: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (NKJV)

Milton Vincent says as to why gospel living is not a one and done but an ongoing, daily commitment and process: God did not give us His gospel just so we could embrace it and be converted. Actually, He offers it to us every day as a gift that keeps on giving to us everything we need for life and godliness. The wise believer learns this truth early and becomes proficient in extracting available benefits by being absorbed in the gospel, speaking it to ourselves when necessary, and by daring to reckon it true in all we do.2

The promise of eternity does not waver based on our poor decisions after salvation, but the keeping of our minds, bodies, and souls is a choice-by-choice partnership with Christ.

“What’s better—to be able to say, ‘I am forgiven and saved’ or ‘I have become like Christ?’”