“Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.” – Genesis 22.10
“‘If anyone come to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple… So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.’” – Jesus, Luke 14.26+27, 33
How many times have we read these scriptures and stopped to think about them?
Songs are glibly (unthinkingly?) sung about giving our lives and everything to Jesus. Then we read things like the above and we are faced with the option (we see it as an option) to truly give our everything or to give what we can, knowing that God is gracious and wouldn’t ask anymore of us.
Or we fall back on the ‘in wisdom’ excuse for not running harder, going further, trying more for our God. And I agree, there is a wisdom aspect that must be brought into account. Christian history is strewn with examples of people who have risked health and family and finances “on the Kingdom” (whose kingdom?) and died early or become destitute, divorced and depressed.
But there are myriad examples too of those who have lived ferociously. Served our God to the last vestige of strength. Made sacrifice after sacrifice and furthered the Kingdom and the King beyond what many others would even dream.
These latter ones have been used mightily for God – forceful men, forcefully advancing the Kingdom.
What is the difference?
Motive and heart convictions.
Have you noticed how Zechariah and Mary ask the similar questions of the angel when told about their future sons: “How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. ” And “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Zechariah is struck dumb and Mary is given a wonderful answer and set up for success.
Look at the king’s in Chronicles and Kings – many made the same noises: “We are devoted to you, Lord. Please help us, Lord. We will change our ways if you show your power, Lord…” In some cases God came through. in other situations the king’s were hit harder!
It all comes down to motive and heart convictions.
If we want to see God move in our generation – so that it is not an empty one – we must test our motives and sort out our heart convictions.
Are we truly putting all aside for Him? Do we “hate” ourselves and family° so much that we would put them aside, lay them down on the altar as a pleasing sacrifice to God?
Or do we, like the rich young ruler, go away sad because we have so much and can’t turn away from it all to serve the King and the Kingdom?
Take stock of your commitment to Jesus. Is he truly your all? Are you as passionate about him today as when you first met him?
If you’re anything like me, the answer to both of these is probably, “No”. My devotion is not where it could be.
And I don’t mean loving him for his benefits. I mean loving him because he is God. Loving him because the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. Loving him because he IS and we serve the great I AM.
Ask Holy Spirit to guide you in your devotion to God and direct him in what you need to change in your life to see him work more in and through you.
Start asking yourself the question: could I give this up if God asked me to? Be honest. Notice I said ‘if God ASKED’. We need to get to that place where God doesn’t have to break our legs or scour us to get a reaction. He just has to ask and we gleefully give it over knowing he has a better plan – maybe not for us personally, but for his Kingdom and we are fine with that.
Bless you in your walk and growth with and in him.
Father, bless you. Help us to be lead by you in all our thoughts, words and actions. We love you. So be it.