In my opinion the greatest need of the human heart is fellowship with God. However, before we can experience fellowship with God, we must experience forgiveness for our rebellion against his authority in our lives. We can be forgiven because Jesus died on the cross of Calvary to make atonement for us. To experience that forgiveness, we must be willing to confess our rebellion against him (1 John 1:9), and to experience saving from the power of rebellion and its control in our lives, we must confess that Jesus is Lord with belief that God rasied him from the dead (Romans 10:9).
Key Verses
For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 (ESV)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Romans 8:29a (ESV)
Suggested Life Verse
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:2,3 (ESV)
I believe that a feeling of significance and accomplishment does not meet the greatest need of the human heart. Searching for significance and seeking for accomplishments can have pitfalls and can possibly lead one down the path of pride instead of humility. Therefore, I prefer to focus on fellowship with God. In order to fellowship with God, I must walk with him in his way and his will for my life. I must have a Christ-like attitude in all that I do, say, think, and desire. However, I fall short of that state over and over again and must confess my rebellion to him. Nevertheless, I am not discouraged because God has promised (predestined) that he will develop in me the character of Jesus (Romans 8:29a). 1 John 3:2 says this: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (ESV)
Give more attention to your character than you do to your achievements.
One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much. Luke 16:10a (ESV)
Saying that searching for significance and seeking for accomplishments can have pitfalls, I am not advocating that we be lazy or irresponsible. We should be industrious and act responsibly. In fact Ephesians 3:20 says this: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” (ESV) What I am saying, though, is that I believe our focus should be on fellowship with God.
Some of the areas in my life that I struggle with are patience, envy, and pride. I find that throughout many of my days there are opportunities to choose patience instead of impatience, to choose love and kindness instead of envy, and to choose humility instead of pride. I experience some victories at times but at other times I experience some failures. There are even times in my life where it seems as if everything is going wrong. When those times happen, I am beginning to look more and more to God as my source of strength and I look to see what he may be wanting to change in my life to bring greater conformity to Jesus’ character and likeness. I encourage you to examine the challenges and hardships in your life in light of how they can help you develop more and more in the likeness of Jesus.
Daily Battle
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (ESV)
I have become more and more aware of how there is a battle in my heart and mind between the ways of God and the ways of a rebellious life. There is a struggle within me and I have choices to make on a continual basis. Because of God’s grace giving me the power to choose to obey his will and follow his ways, I can choose to walk with God. When my mind entertains thoughts that involve evil desires and motives, I need to agree with God that they are opposed to his authority in my life and accept God’s position and attitude toward them.