More of You, Less of Me

I am reprinting a Blog post from a Rochelle Holmes. The Holmes family shares a very special section of my heart and is our "Florida Family." This piece she wrote really resonated with me, and I wanted to share it on my Blog. To read this article on Rochelle's Blog, please click here. 

I have realized in the recent weeks, that it’s really hard to have less of me when I am consumed with well, me. Consumed with my own circumstance, problems, joys, highs, lows, etc, etc... This “more of You, less of me” prayer is something I have religiously recited over and over, as if simply saying the words will make it come true.

Recently, I was going through a certain situation, and my husband simply said, “How has your personal time been with the Lord lately?” Immediately I became defensive and found it my duty to remind him just of how busy I am. I quickly rattled off everything I do from morning until night, and tried to convince him [and me] that I have simply been too busy to spend real time in His presence. If I already didn’t realize how terrible that sentence is, writing it out only exacerbates it. Really—you should try it. Write out those awful things you say. It only makes you realize how ridiculous it is!

As soon as I said it, I knew there was zero Holy Spirit in that sentence. And like a loving but convicting husband responds, he simply said, “no.” He was able to empathize with everything else in my current season, but this one he could not co-sign on. He reminded me, ever so gently, “Your relationship with the Lord is your responsibility.” Let’s read that again slowly. Your relationship with the Lord is your responsibility. Yes! And, ouch! As painful as it was to be corrected, it was equally true. That sentence prompted a beautiful new journey of more of Him, less of me.

You see, I had gotten absolutely consumed with my day to day. My priorities were completely off. Work, ministry, family—everything had taken the place of my greatest priority—Jesus. His presence. He must be everything. I had forgotten that for a moment. And in that, I had forgotten who I was. What his promises were. I had forgotten everything. Matthew 6:33 tells us, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (NLT). Oh how I had forgotten! I actually don’t need to strive and chase things down, I just need to seek Him first—then everything else comes. Everything.

Have you ever found yourself seeking good things? Family, relationships, social media (this one can be good or bad!), a calling, a ministry, serving, leading, building community, and the list goes on and on. It’s so hard to see that something is a little off when the object of your affection is actually so good. It’s not sinful. It’s not anything bad. But it’s not the most excellent way. The Lord doesn’t want us to give up these things, but He does want to be above them. In fact, this Christian life requires that He is above them. It’s the only way. His presence over everything.

So, how do we say no to all these things that war for our attention every single day? Maybe no is not the right word. Rather, how do we say, “not yet” to those things that war for our attention every day? We make Him first. In all things. We meet with Him first in the mornings. We talk to Him about our day. We surrender our days to His plan while declaring the Word over our day. Over our lives. We pray, daily. We worship, daily. We read His word. Every. Single. Day. We discipline ourselves to be with Him every day, and we make Him everything. He is the center of our lives. Without Him, we have nothing. With Him, we have everything. 

I’ve eliminated the noise, the distractions. I try not to reach for my phone in every empty space. I listen to what He might be saying. I try not to spend time scrolling through social media multiple times a day to see what other people are doing. Now, I take time to see what He is doing. What He is up to. What Heaven is doing right here in this earth. I take time to drive in silence and listen. I read. I listen to podcasts, to worship. I fill up my soul and my spirit with Him, so when I’m with Him and when I’m with others, I am spilling over with Him. More of Him, way less of me.

When I love Him well, I can love myself well, and I can love others well. When He is at the top, His rightful place, I am the best mother, the best wife, the best employee, the best servant, the best leader, the best friend, the best neighbor, the best acquaintance. Not because I am spending my days pursuing greatness, but because I am spending my days pursuing the Great One. Friends, I challenge you to stop what you’re doing and evaluate where He is in your life. What a crucial task. Stop and see how your priorities need to be re-evaluated so that He is first, in all things in your life. Seek Him first, everything else will come.

Things to think about:

What is currently holding you back from God being first in your life?

How can you re-prioritize Him in your life this next week? How can you (and the things in your life) become less so that you can increase pursuing His presence more?

His presence is so satisfying. How can you maintain a consistency of being with Him so you are always filled, and always refreshed?

John 3:30-31

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of this earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.”

-Rochelle