You realize, I hope, that a person can be a very faithful ‘church’ member, active in giving and serving, and yet...still not be abiding in Jesus. How can this be? I’m sure the folks in Matt. 7:22 might be asking the same question. “But Lord...we did all these things in your name...”

Abiding in Christ basically boils down to your ‘want-to factor’. What do you really ‘want’ to do...and what do you really ‘want’ in this life. As I have always heard, and seen lived out - people are going to do pretty much what the ‘want’ to do. The very word itself means: ‘to have a desire to possess or do something; to wish for.

Jesus approached a man who had been afflicted for 38 years and was absolutely miserable. He flat out asked this man: “Do you want to ... be made well?” (John 5:6). It was a fair question, in my opinion. We have all seen people who may have given indication of ‘wanting’ ...to improve upon their lives, but in the end, there was something else they were wanting more- maybe just pity, attention, or even just a simple a ‘handout’.

In another place, Jesus confronted some Pharisees who were a tad hostile towards Him, ready to ‘take up stones to throw at Him’. (John 8:59). Sometimes hearing the truth will do that to us if God does not have our hearts. Remember what the crowd wanted to do to Joshua and Caleb in Numbers 14:10? But in that exchange between the Pharisees, I doubt Jesus scored any points with that crowd after He told them outright: “Your father is the devil and the desires of your father...you want to do!” (44)

So what do you want?

“For out of the abundance of the heart...the mouth speaks.” (Matt. 12:34).

I remember quite well the time I heard an unintended ‘confession’ by two separate men I know well. Both guys could easily be called ‘good men’, were “raised in church”, and both would profess to having a deep faith and a relationship with Jesus. We were talking at the time, about what it means to abide in Jesus, and when I heard this statement roll off their lips, which came from the depths of their hearts, I was struck with the candid tone in which they expressed their sentiment. And yet, in all honesty, I could easily understand what they were saying because I too, at one time would have easily admitted to the same feelings.

So what did these two men share with me? Their words were: “I don’t always want to abide in Jesus.”

I think most of us ‘get’ that. But allow me to clue you in to something that I have discovered over the past four years since God brought me out of my own ‘tomb of darkness’. We cannot even begin to abide in Jesus...until we want Him more...than anything else in our lives. It’s not enough to just ‘want’ God in your life, or ‘want to turn your life around’; you have to want Him with ALL your heart. And there are conditions that come with that.

I merely submit to you the incident where the rich young ruler came to Jesus...’wanting’ eternal life. After his exchange with Jesus, we learn quickly that there was something else he wanted more, and it was his possessions and influence gained from his wealth. So he turned and walked away and never even began the process of abiding in Christ. We should expect nothing less in our own experience; and of this you can be sure: God will test your heart on this. But here’s some encouraging news: God can help change your ‘want-to’ factor, if of course...you want Him to. ;-)