Glimpses: The Finish Line

Hey girls :) I’m officially crashing the blog for this week! Before you read, I’ll just be honest, and admit that this wasn’t what I was originally planning to write this devotional about. Actually, when I first told Hannah I would write something, I had no idea what that might be. I jumped around; first, I wrote about the person of Jesus Christ being real... then I wasn’t getting anywhere, so I started writing about the goodness of God, but that didn’t seem right either. But God works in mysterious ways, because on Friday, some of my best friends and I watched the movie “Grace Unplugged” (if you’ve never seen it, I hope you aren’t busy tonight, because you must see it!!), and I knew exactly what it was I wanted to write about.

Instead of giving you a long, complicated description of the movie, I just want you to read the words of this song. It’s written by AJ Michalka (look her up; she is amazing), and it’s called “All I’ve Ever Needed”.

***

Honestly it's time for honesty
My heart is on my sleeve
Oh will you hear me out?
I've got nothing left to give of me
I gave up everything
So there is nothing left to lose from me now
Would you forgive me somehow

I've chased a million things
Bright lights and empty dreams
Now here I am
Right where I thought I wanted to be
I'll trade it all right now
Leave it all and lay it down
To get back to where I belong
Lord all I've ever needed was your love.

Truth be told I made this world my home
I let it steal my soul, but now I want it back
Cause all I need is waiting
In your arms a place to hang my heart
Where I am known at last
You're the one true thing I have

I've chased a million things
Bright lights and empty dreams
Now here I am
Right where I thought I wanted to be
I'll trade it all right now
Leave it all and lay it down
To get back to where I belong
Lord all I've ever needed was your love.

And I know that I was meant to be
More than just a melody
I know that You had hopes for me
I hope you still believe in me...

// 

So often, our whole life becomes a rat-race. We’re talented young ladies; we’re smart, we work hard, we live balanced lives, we try to love our friends and be a part of our families, and above all, we try to live for the Lord. But sometimes in the inherently good process of trying to achieve so much, we lose track of the finish line.

Ultimately, in every race we run, we’re trying to reach a goal; the finish line, the end, the perfect accomplishment. In the race we so often run so blindly, we focus on our own finish lines. We chase after a million things. We want bright lights and empty dreams.

But then we get there. We think we did it. We reach a place where we thought we wanted to be, and we realize that we don’t even belong there.

Because the truth is that only Jesus Christ is the finish line.

“Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” Revelation 1:17-18

He is the Alpha and the Omega.

The Beginning and the End.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The Fullness of Love.

And so, so much more… and honestly? There is nothing else in this world that we could ever achieve, ever need, or ever want except to love Jesus and let Him love us back. And until we figure that out, we’ll always be running the race and never reaching the finish. But when we realize that our true goal, the real finish, is total union with the person of Jesus Christ, then suddenly we also realize that the only thing we’ve ever needed was His love.

This is who Jesus wants to be in our lives, in our hearts, and in our world. He wants to be the end of the line; the striped tape at the end of the track. We push Him away, chasing our own lights and dreams, when all He wants is to be the one and only thing we’re chasing. All He asks is that let we Him love us.

Jesus? Be my finish line. Cause all I’ve ever needed was your love. 

Written by Caroline Andrews.