God-Conscious

I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. JEREMIAH 24:7 NASB 

We don’t mean to make us the center. It just happens. It’s so easy to follow the lies that we can achieve happiness on our own as long as we follow our hearts. And where does this leave us? Frustrated, tired from all the striving, and confused about what He wants from us. We have become so self-focused, and yet nothing we do keeps us from feeling self-conscious. 

But that’s exactly how we become the center of our lives—we don’t “mean to.” Our nature is always going to be self-focused, even in the way we pursue God. Our efforts are often seen through the lens of self-righteousness or self-approval; we think if we can do enough, we will become what would make God proud. But when we are intentional about redirecting our focus from the creation to the Creator, everything shifts. 

Instead of operating FOR fulfillment, we operate out of fulfillment. 

Instead of chasing accolades, we cling to the approval already established for us. We are no longer tossed to and fro by the winds of culture or the fear of people. 

Instead of keeping our eyes peeled for the next best thing that we think might bring us happiness, we know we can go to His well—at any moment, every day, no matter how we are dressed or if we messed up. We can drink. 

Rest. Gather our energy. It’s the only place we can go to quench the thirst deep within us. 

When we are self-conscious, we have such a heightened awareness of our frailty and our false hope; instead of drawing us to Him, our pride convinces us to keep trying. It leaves us ragged and discontent. But when we are God-conscious, the revelation of our frailty becomes the door to gratitude, and we radiate reverence of Him. Wisdom opens our eyes to His amazing grace, showing us the reality of our humanity that now receives the unshakable covering of Jesus. This is our true hope. We see that we don’t have to be enough because He is our everything. 

We don’t have to constantly look in the mirror and evaluate whether we are worthy, capable, or victorious. We have the gift of looking at Jesus, the One who goes before us in everything, and recentering our awareness on His worthiness, His capability, and His victory. We were never meant to be the center of our lives. Only He can handle the pressure, navigate the path, and usher in the peace we need to live a rich, full life. 

It seems obvious that we would pick being God-conscious over being self-conscious, and yet we live so much of our lives picking the latter. But today, we get to decide again—so what will it be? 

Hey Jesus, thank You for the reminder that when we focus on You, You bring all things into correct perspective. Rid myself of me. I know that when I recenter all around You, peace and fulfillment become mine. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Cleere Cherry Reaves 
Radiate: 90 Devotions to Reflect the Heart of Jesus 

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