Press On, It Won’t Be Very Long: Longing for Jesus
I got teary-eyed this week, and I wasn’t even chopping onions! lol no but on a serious note…
I didn’t plan on writing this one. But it’s a thought I had last night and I wanted to share it.
I was singing “Press On, It Won’t Be Very Long” at church (it’s on page 374 in our hymnbook), and somewhere in the middle of the song I started thinking about longing to be with Jesus.
I was just thinking about how much we really long to be with the Lord. Not just saying we do on Sundays and Wednesdays but actually yearning for it.
So I asked myself a question. And now I’m asking you.
Are We Really Longing for Jesus and to be with him?
It’s easy to sing the words. I’ve sung plenty of songs on autopilot, and I bet you have too. But this time the question hit me differently.
Are we really yearning and looking and wanting to be with the Lord?
Not just someday, eventually, when everything else is done. But really wanting it.
The psalmist put it this way: “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.” (Psalm 84:2)
David wrote it this way: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” (Psalm 42:1) Psalm 42 is a good read for this topic.
Panteth. Like a deer that’s thirsty and running for the water. That’s the kind of wanting I’m talking about.
And Paul wrote, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” (Philippians 1:23)
Far better. I want to feel that more than I do.
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Are You Willing to Forsake Everything?
This is the question that really got me. Are you willing to forsake everything to run to the Lord? Your plans, your comfort, your to-do list, all of it.
I don’t think it means loving our families less. I think it’s about holding everything else a little looser, and Him a little tighter. My home, my family, all of it is a gift from GOD. But none of it should take priority over our relationship with Jesus.
Paul said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) Press on. That’s the song, isn’t it?
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A Heart Check for Us Mommas
Am I doing my job as a momma? Am I investing in his soul? Training him, teaching him, loving him?
The Lord gave us a plain picture of what that looks like: “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
In the house. By the way. When we lie down and when we rise up. It’s the ordinary hours, not just the big moments.
And hear me on this: it isn’t about earning anything. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) None of us can be good enough to get to heaven, and neither can our kids. Our job is to point them to the One who already paid for it.
That’s what keeps me humble. We can’t save our children. But we can show them, every day, what it looks like to love the One who can.
A Few Small Ways I’m Trying to Keep My Heart Pointed Up
I’m not sharing these as a formula. They’re just things I’m leaning on, and you’re welcome to borrow them.
- Talk about the Lord out loud. Over breakfast, in the car, at bedtime. Our children are listening more than we think.
- Memorize a verse together. If you want a simple place to start, I have free scripture memory verse cards you can print.
- Let them see you in the Word. Not perfectly. Just there.
- Pray for their souls by name. I’m still learning to do this more than I do.
And if your home is a little loud and a little messy while you do it, that’s completely normal. Mine is too.
Looking for That Blessed Hope
The wonderful thing is that this isn’t just a what-if. We have a real promise.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
He’s coming back. And Paul told us what to be doing while we wait: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” (Titus 2:13)
Here’s the thing. Most of my days are pretty ordinary. Cooking, cleaning, running to the store, doing it all over again tomorrow. I’m guessing yours look the same. But we can scrub a floor and still be looking up.
So the real question is whether I’m living every day like I’m looking.
If you want more on keeping Christ at the center of your home, I wrote about it here: Homemaking with Purpose: Biblical Principles for a Christ-Centered Home.
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Something to Think About This Week
I’m not going to wrap this up with a neat little bow, because I’m still thinking about it myself.
What does it mean to be yearning for the Lord?
It means wanting Him more than anything else, more than comfort, plans or even good things. The psalmist said his soul panted after God like a thirsty deer after water (Psalm 42:1). It’s a longing that grows as we spend time in His Word and in prayer.
How can I teach my children to love the Lord?
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says to teach them diligently, in the house, on the way, when we lie down and when we rise up. For us that mostly means everyday conversation, reading the Bible together, praying with them, and letting them see us love Him ourselves.
Does being a good mom get my children to heaven?
No. Salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not by anything we do (Ephesians 2:8). We can’t save our children, but we can point them to the Saviour every chance we get.
I’d Love to Hear From You
Did that question stir something in you too? Has a hymn ever stopped you in your tracks like that? Tell me in the comments. I read every one.
And if you’re a mom who’s been wondering if you’re doing enough, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you.
Thank you for sitting at my kitchen table with me today.
Press on, friend. It won’t be very long. Are you willing to run? ♡
