If I look honestly at these questions and the hundreds of others that come up when I think about surrendering all, at the root is one thing: fear. Fear of change mostly, but also fear of the unknown. God has blessed me with an abundance of things, most of which I've come to accept as "necessities." But they're not, really. They are comforts. They are ideas of what's important, but many people in this world live without them -- and they are happy!
God knows what's really important and He's promised that the real necessities of this life He will always provide.
It got me thinking about the compromises we make in our journey to know God and I came across the following sermon notes by Doug Hamilton: http://www.camphillcofc.org/Sermons/content/20090215PM_Notes.pdf I don't know Doug, and I don't know if overall he's a totally committed Christian or not, but he makes some good points in these notes.
You can read it all if you want, but today in our devotions I'm focusing on Uncommitted Obedience.
Exod 8:28 And Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me."Yikes! How often have I been the lukewarm Christian? How often, when I've been trapped in Farmville have I heard God's gentle voice to close FB and spend time with him? How often have I kept playing, saying to myself that I'll read my Bible or spend extra time in prayer before I go to sleep and then been too tired to open my Bible or pray?
In response to Moses’ refusal to stay in the land of Egypt and offer sacrifice to God, Pharaoh offered yet another compromise. He said they could go into the wilderness, but “you shall not go very far away”. You have to love Pharaoh’s compromised compromise! The command was to travel three days into the wilderness, but Pharaoh just wanted them to go "a little ways".
We like to do this in our Christian walk at times. If we are not careful, we will tend to revert back to the lowest common denominator in our walk with Christ. The command is to (Matt 22:37) “…love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” It is all or none when it comes to our relationship with God.
Rev 3:15-16 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.'
How often have I seen someone in need of prayer and felt the tug of the Holy Spirit to drop all and pray with them, but rather than stopping right then and there, I say "I'll pray for you" because it's more convenient to my schedule to do it later. Delayed obedience is still disobedience.
I don't want to be that lukewarm Christian Revelation speaks of, but more than that, I don't want to be that "holier than thou" Christian who goes about telling everyone how they should live their life.
But are those the only two options? I don't think so. Jesus said to "abide in me." Abiding is resting. It's simply striving to be with him at all times and in all places. Jesus said he'll prepare us for the good works he's laid out for us to do, so there isn't any pressure in trying to come up with the perfect ministry or take the right classes to learn the right stuff to be ready for the future. He will guide us. When the time is right, he'll nudge us, and he'll probably put in our heart a great desire for what he's got in store. If we're excited about something, we push the fear aside.
For me, committed obedience is committing to look my motives in the face and judge them for what they are. And if I find they aren't Godly motives, then I must recognize them for what they are: just another tool the enemy is using to keep me from the riches and blessing that are in Christ Jesus.
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