I'd Rather Have Jesus

We want a lot of things in life. We want health and happiness, comfort and satisfaction, wealth and fame and power. We want a long life. (I mean, who wants to die, really?). We want people to like us, a job that fulfills us (even if that's no job at all), a "significant other" (or others) who pleases us. We want freedom and peace, love and joy, stability and passion, self-confidence and safety. Oh, and control ... we really want control.

Unfortunately for us, many of these things are elusive and, ironically, out of our control. We don't determine most of this stuff. They come and they go, sometimes with our help and sometimes all on their own. They are evasive and transitory. And, yet, we are upset when we don't get what we want and, strangely enough, rarely grateful when we do.

As for me, I'm hoping for something different. Let me explain. I am "hoping" in the sense that I don't always at all times in all senses have this hope down. I'm hoping, then, to want this in a more consistent and sure fashion. It's not that I'm hoping to get something different, because this "something different" is not in question. It's a sure thing. And, of course, I've already told you what it is. I'd rather have Jesus.

Jeremy Camp sang, "Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus. You can have all this world; Just give me Jesus." Rhea Miller wrote and George Beverly Shea put to music "I'd Rather Have Jesus."

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Refrain:
Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin's dread sway;
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I'd rather be true to His holy name.

That other stuff is cool, I suppose, and if getting more of Jesus gives me some of that, it would be nice, I imagine. But, seriously, the longer I live, the less those things matter to me in comparison to Him. And the really excellent thing is that "more of Jesus" is a certainty and my ultimate outcome will be an eternity in His presence.

We used to sing a little ditty in our high school youth group. (Don't know who wrote it.) "I want more of Jesus; more and more and more. I want more of Jesus than I ever had before. I want more of His great love, rich and full and free. I want more of Jesus so I'll give Him more of me." That's it! That's what I want. "You can have all this world; just give me Jesus."