3 Theological Themes I was Obsessed with in 2023

As a pastor, I read and think about the Bible and theology quite often. It seems each year I have a few things I find myself obsessed with and this year was no different. Sometimes they carry over from previous years and just get more focus and other times they are new. But I treasure this slow reflection that moves throughout the year. Here are the three things I kept coming back to in my own devotion and reflection.

Dying to Self

Jesus' biggest (and most repeated) teaching in the gospels.

Lose yourself to find yourself.

It shows up around 6 times directly in all four gospels. It's the only teaching that makes it into all 4. That alone has had me fascinated for years. But this year, as I reflected on 2020-2023, it began to make sense in a personal way. Losing ourselves isn't about the bad or the destructive, but about learning to give the best of ourselves over to God. It's the refinement of our holiness that happens in the gnarly and the openness we have in our hearts to healing that changes things. We can only move towards sanctification if we are willing for everything to be sanctified.

Lose yourself to find yourself.

The Presence of God takes Priority

I spent two years highlighting everything that seemed to involve God's presence. At first, I thought it was really specific, but then I found out it stretched out to a much bigger idea. And as AW Tozer says,

"We have as much of God as we want.

I want more of God.

As I have pushed more into the high points of my life, the presence of God was tangible and visible in those seasons. So the question is "Can I have more of this?". If we want to live the life we read about in scripture, pursuing the presence of God is a necessary ingredient. Whether it is comfort, insight, clarity, or just general graciousness, seeking the presence of God needs to be a daily affair. We can't call ourselves followers of Jesus and not have this as part. Pursue the presence at all costs. The more I have thought and prayed, the more I have realized chasing the presence of God might be the number one pursuit for any disciple of Jesus.

Being Satisfied

What does it mean to be satisfied in life as a follower of Jesus?

Sometimes we wonder if satisfaction is part of the larger ecosystem of Christianity.

I say yes because it is all over scripture.

Being satisfied as a Christian isn't about everything everything we want. Being satisfied is us instead realizing that what God brings us should be entirely sufficient. It's the journey of holiness that creates a supernatural experience of satisfaction in our souls (PS 17:15). To be satisfied is to be content with God's vision for the world and our place in it. I'll take that over momentary experiences of "what's good enough." Pursuing satisfaction just means pursuing the power of losing ourselves to find ourselves.

Jesus taught that more than anything else in the gospels. If he seemed to be obsessed with it, then I would follow that obsession. We find satisfaction in the presence of God. As I look over these 3 things, I realize they all have an inner relationship with each other. I can see the work God has been doing in my heart these last couple of years.

What has the LORD been telling you this last year?