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Recently, our pastor said that he had read somewhere, “If you are not hungry for Jesus, then you are full of yourself.” That sums it up very nicely. The word makes it clear, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24).

As Christ followers, we can easily forget that at one time we were lost. Life presses in and then picking up our cross is not a dedicated act to God but something we do out of routine. We walk through the motions. We forget what it was like when we first met the Lord and felt all his goodness. We forget how our first breath of freedom felt when we were forgiven. Religion sets in instead of relationship.

For example, I volunteer as a trainer for another ministry that teaches people how to share their testimony. One of the biggest problems many have when they first start learning is keeping it about Jesus and not about themselves. We as humans tend to be so self-focused that we forget about Jesus. Many start out with testimonies filled with all the hardships they have endured and then the last 5-10 minutes talk about Jesus. Whereas it should be mostly about Jesus — Jesus is who changed our lives. Everybody has a story to tell, everybody has been through hardships, so the focus should be on Jesus.

Some people have no new testimony to share. They only have the past to relate to because they stopped right there. It is like they walked in the door, took off their shoes and then sat down. Meanwhile, there are a host of people that they know who need Jesus. They forget about them and settle down with a delightful book and a cup of hot cocoa. The mentality is, “I have done what I needed to do. I am good. I am going to heaven. There is nothing else for me to do.”

The word reminds us, “… and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). To the end of the earth is very specific. God desires Christ followers to share his love with other people. If we are not hungry for Jesus, then what do we have to share? This week let us pray and ask God to help us bring glory to his name by sharing his testimony with all the earth — our family, our friends, our neighbors, and our community. May we truly be hungry for Jesus.

Yvette Perrin can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.