Leading The Way - Devotional for February 18
February 18, 2026
Longing for More of Jesus
By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.
Many believe that their spiritual journey is complete once they have professed their faith in Christ. However, just as wedding vows are only the beginning of a marriage, so a profession of faith is only the beginning of something much greater: a daily, living relationship with Christ.
The apostle Paul was a man zealous for his religion. But after a life-changing encounter with Christ, Paul's desire to grow in love for Jesus caused him to regard all his accomplishments as trash. In Philippians 3:8-9, after going through his laundry list of religious accomplishments, Paul boldly states, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, . . .”
Loving Jesus begins with a dissatisfaction with your current level of loving Jesus. A love for Jesus starts with a yearning to know Him and love Him more than anyone or anything in life. This love leaves no room for complacency or mediocrity because Christ is always worthy of more.
When you come to the point of saying, “Lord, my love for You is so pathetic, so shallow, so superficial, and so self-centered,” this is when you have taken the first step in the right direction.
Jesus longs to nourish our minds with the Truth. He longs to fill our hearts with His love. He longs to lift our imaginations to new heights. He longs for us to surrender our wills so that He may fill us with His. But it all begins with dissatisfaction.
There is no end to knowing and loving Jesus. That is the business of our life on earth and the focus of our worship in eternity. God is constantly inviting His children to know and love Him more every day. Hold nothing back today as you seek to love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, examine my life and reveal where I have fallen out of love for You. Help me to repent and begin to grow in love for You every day. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series To Know Jesus Is to Love Him: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW
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Watch Dr. Michael Youssef on this week's broadcast of Leading The Way at LightSource.com.
