Whom Have I in Heaven But You?

There is a great benefit to being, as our dear brother Winn often expresses, self-aware. That is, having an understanding of what is going on with us personally and internally (with our actions, our thoughts, and our words). And also, we should be self-aware in how we interact with people with our actions, thoughts, and words.

Yet, that self-awareness does not just stand on its own. Our self-awareness is always subject to the Christ-awareness that the indwelling Holy Spirit makes active. When Christ transforms us by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) and the changing of our hearts from stone to flesh (Ezekiel 36:25-27), this means that we become aware of all that belongs in our temple and what does not.

In Psalm 73, Asaph gets to the right conclusion, praise be to God. “Who have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.” Yet, he did not arrive fully formed--he had to deal with some matters in his heart and mind regarding how He viewed people, yes, but also how he viewed God. For a time, he did not see that God was good, just, or able. He got there in the end, thankfully.

So where are you right now? Rather than saying, “Well, good for Asaph,” ask yourselves where you are right now. Are you truly relying on Christ for everything? Are you tethering your thoughts, actions, or words to Christ and His Word? Or are you coming to some conclusions about who God is based upon who seems to be winning and prospering at the time?