You Can Have All This World… Well, Maybe.

Words easy to sing, harder to live out.

They are words easy to sing—but much harder to live out.
Yet this is the invitation God gives us: to give up this world and live a surrendered life. Not out of guilt, but out of love.

A moment in His presence

It was a typical Sunday morning. I was in worship, hands lifted, singing Give Me Jesus—a song that always stirs something deep in me.

But this time, mid-chorus, the words grabbed me:
“You can have all this world, just give me Jesus.”

Right there, the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart:
“Do you really mean that? You can have all this world?”

He began gently asking questions:

• Would you really say no to that dessert you don’t need?
• Would you really step away from social media?
• Would you choose time with Me over a fun outing with friends?

None of what He brought to mind was wrong. That’s what made it so unsettling. He wasn’t pointing out sin—He was inviting me to surrender. He was asking:

Do you hunger and thirst for Me more than anything else?

And more questions stirred within me:

• Will you let go of fear and worry?
• Will you trust Me with your family, your finances, your future?
• Will you lean not on your own understanding and follow My leading, even when it’s hard?

It’s easy to say, “Of course, Lord.”

But are my actions and my life proving that I truly want Him more than anything else? 

The gentle, but strong pull of this world

1 John 2:15–16 reminds us not to love the world or anything in it—because it’s all passing away.

But I’ll be honest with you:
I do get attached. I love my routines, my comforts, and even the little distractions that help me unwind.

The problem is, those comforts can start to compete with my hunger for Him.

They fill space meant for His presence.

And suddenly, I’m not so sure I can sing “You can have all this world” without some hesitation. 

When “Not Bad” Becomes “Not Best”

It wasn’t about the dessert or the scroll through Facebook. The danger was in letting those things soothe my soul more than Jesus did.

James 4:4 hit home:

“Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity with God?”

Ouch.

It reminded me—I can’t hold hands with the world and walk closely with Jesus.

I’m not called to blend in.

I’m called to be set apart. 

Where Is My Heart Really Set?

Colossians 3:1–3 challenges us:

“Set your hearts on things above… not on earthly things.”

That word “set” implies intention. A deliberate act of focus.
So I asked myself:

• Where is my heart really set?
• Not just what do I say I believe—but what do I live?
• Not just what do I post, but what do I pursue?

When I say “You can have all this world,” do I actually mean it?
Or am I clinging to things I’m unwilling to release?

The Invitation: Lay It Down

That morning, God wasn’t condemning me, rather, the Holy Spirit was convicting me. He was giving me an invitation:

• To fall more deeply in love with Him
• To trust that what He has is better
• To long to know Him more

If I truly want to Make Him Known, it begins in my own heart. I must know Him deeply, spend time with Him, and continually grow in relationship with Him. Living life on purpose for His glory means I’m not simply fitting Jesus into my plans—I’m surrendering fully to His. It’s about intentionally saying yes to what He says, making myself available so that I can know Him—and through my life, make Him known to others.

When I let go of the temporary comforts of this world, I create more space to be filled with His presence, His peace, His purpose.

Maybe You Feel That Nudge, Too

Maybe God’s highlighting something in your life right now—not bad, just… not best.

What if we began laying those things down—not out of guilt, but out of love?
What if we chose to hold tighter to Him than anything else?

The world is noisy. It’s needy. It constantly pulls at us.

But Jesus… Jesus is enough.

And when we begin to live like we truly believe that—when we choose Him above all else—we’ll experience the freedom, peace, and joy that only come from a surrendered life.

“You can have all this world… just give me Jesus.” “You can have all this world… just give me Jesus.”

Stay Tuned for Part 2: Just Give Me Jesus

Where we’ll talk about the joy of what we gain when we choose Him above all else.

💝 Want to go deeper?

To help you reflect and apply what you’ve read, I’ve created a free printable journal just for you:

📝 Living Surrendered: A Guided Reflection Journal
Includes:

• Reflection prompts on where your heart is set

• Key scriptures and cross-references

• A printable chart to exchange worldly pulls for godly purpose

• A prayer to help you begin this journey of surrender

📥 Download the free journal here

And be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of the series:

• Part 2: Just Give Me Jesus!

• Part 3: Hearts Set Apart, Arms Open Wide

Let’s live surrendered—on purpose, for His glory.