Interested. Committed. Obsessed. #403

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Interested. Committed. Obsessed. #403

I recently watched an interview about Kobe Bryant’s journey regarding his approach to basketball and training. Despite being extremely talented, Kobe's progression was described as moving from interested, where he relied on his talent, to committed, where he put in extra work, to obsessed, where seemingly every hour became an opportunity to get closer to the player he wanted to be. Think about it: when you're interested, you participate when it's convenient. When you're committed, you make sacrifices and put in the work. But when you're obsessed, your decisions, time, and actions begin to reflect what matters most.

That interview made me think about my faith and a question that I feel we all need to answer: Do I just know about Jesus, do I know Jesus, or is He Lord of my life?

This is a tightrope many Christians walk. It may be easy to say we love Jesus because we go to church, read our Bible, and pray occasionally. Those are good things, but I personally don't want my relationship with Christ defined only by the Christian things I do. I desire to know Him more deeply so my decisions and time reflect His. If I want Him to be Lord of my life, then I need to move from interested to committed to obsessed. What say you?

The Apostle Paul gave us a great example of this journey. Saul was already knowledgeable, disciplined, religious, and incredibly zealous. Then he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, and his life and passion changed direction. So much so that years later, he wrote, “that I may know him” in Philippians 3:10. Meaning, for the rest of Paul’s life, he always wanted more of Jesus.

But again, I realize it’s a daily tightrope because there are areas of my life where I call Him Lord but still want to be the boss of other areas. Jesus reminds us that following Him is a daily commitment. In Luke 9:23, He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” That word “daily” eases the tension because being obsessed with Jesus isn't one giant moment of surrender. It's waking up each day wanting more of Him and trusting Him with whatever He asks me to lay down.

Before I end, I think we need to sincerely look at our Monday-through-Saturday walk and ask ourselves if Jesus is really becoming the center of our lives. This may be in how we treat our family, use our time, or forgive someone who hurt us. This isn’t a scorecard of your mistakes; it’s merely a self-reflection to help you move from committed to obsessed.

I believe we know that walking closer to Christ is possible because we've heard testimonies of people who hit rock bottom and then surrendered their lives to the Lord. Paul had his Damascus road. But why should we wait for rock bottom to make that decision? Why wait for something to fall apart before surrendering what Jesus is already asking us to trust Him with?

So what is one area of your life you want Jesus to have more of? Then give it to Him so you can act on what He's showing you. Then do it again tomorrow, and before you know it, you’ll be more than interested and committed. You’ll be obsessed enough to surrender. Surrendered enough to devote. Devoted enough to act.

If you're more than interested, then visit lighthouselegacies.com to move towards obsessed. Also, listen to The Living Your Legacy Podcast.