NO OTHER NAME

My heart will sing NO other name but Jesus.

That is how it is NOW inside me, but that hasn't always been the case! In fact, FAR from it . . . my heart has sung so many names; it's not even funny!! But one thing is certain-- only ONE song of my heart has NEVER left me filling incomplete, insufficient, restless, frustrated and tricked . . . JESUS!!

For six years, one song my heart sang on repeat was lust. LUST, sex, perversions, porn etc. And trust me-- it was on repeat, but the BEAUTIFUL part about it is with any CD . . . you can always hit eject and put another one in. That's what I chose to do.

See-- it's not that some of the things I did didn't satisfy me. Sometimes they did, but they NEVER satisfied me in a lasting fashion. How could they? How can anything? Money, status, respect, drugs, alcohol, sex, the opposite sex, the same sex, our jobs, our spouses, our significant others, not even our family. NOTHING brings lasting happiness, contentment, JOY and a sense of purpose like Jesus.

Many things can bring you temporary happiness. Many things can satisfy in the moment, but why would we, so willingly, embrace counterfeit when real exists? Not only does real exists, but it satisfies FOREVER! Isn't it foolishness we would chase after those things, knowing what the end-game will be? Knowing we will be left feeling empty?

What Name is Your Heart Singing?

It's not just sin that our heart can sing. It's husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, family members, friends. If we long for anything more than we long for Jesus . . . our heart is singing another name. I liken that to trying to fill up a cup that has a hole in it. No matter how much you try to pour in . . . it will never be enough!

No, I'm not saying we aren't supposed to have loved ones, who mean a great deal to us. I believe they are some of God's greatest gifts, but when we make her the focus of our heart-- we embrace fleeting when Lasting has His loving arms out just waiting for us to run into them!

I'm not casting any stones, because I have been, and still am at times, guilty of making my girlfriend an idol in my heart, but I am working on that. . . err, rather shall I say God is working on that for me.

There is no GREATER freedom than when you finally say-- I am done fighting! I am done serving Satan! I am done serving two masters, but only giving my allegiance to the Devil! My heart will sing NO OTHER name but Jesus!! That's when you begin to tap into the FULL abundant life found in John 10:10, but written in our DNA.

We were made, the reason we exists, is to KNOW God.

How Do You Hit the Eject Button?

It doesn't matter what name your heart sang yesterday or even a minute ago! That's the beauty of God . . . He cares about our future and doesn't hold against us, in terms of how much He loves us, our past allegiances. That's called GRACE.

How do you surrender? By doing what Hebrews 12:1 says, "Fixing our eyes on Jesus and running the race that was marked out for us, throwing off the sin that SO easily entangles." It's not a one-time decision. It's a continual one.

I have to set the record straight on a common misconception-- NONE of us can hit the eject button and put a new CD in using our own strength, but ALL of us can letting Him do it through us. I believe this is the case, so we will give Him the Glory instead of taking the credit for our change and improvement of behavior ourselves.

The life of a believer is found on the Surgeon's gurney. God, our Creator and Savior, is performing surgery on us. He is taking out the bad and replacing it with Him, who is good and the surgery will not end until we have drawn our final breath! That's exciting especially when you look at Phil. 1:6 that says the work He has begun in us WILL BE COMPLETED!! The purpose He has for your life WILL come to pass if we allow Him to have His way.

Ask God to change the song of your heart. The dance won't go as smoothly, but at least you'll no longer be dancing alone.