Wednesday, May 23, 2012

You Are Not Your Own

My Utmost For His Highest

‘Jesus summed up commonsense carefulness in the life of a disciple as unbelief. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will squeeze right through our lives, as if to ask, “Now where do I come into this relationship, this vacation you have planned, or these new books you want to read?” And He always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion…..We say, “I will not trust when I cannot see”— and that is where unbelief begins. The only cure for unbelief is obedience to the Spirit.’ CHAMBERS

Some years ago the phrase “What Would Jesus Do? Or WWJD” became very popular among American Christians.  It was meant as a reminder that whatever we do in this life should be done with Jesus as the first consideration.  As Christians .. we belong to God … Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.’ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Now that is not to say that we live that way.  Too often obedience to God is a consideration but not a determination.  And sometimes not even a consideration.  We should not treat obedience to the Word as a choice but a way of life.  It is so easy to yield to the flesh … to respond in the same way that those without the Spirit do … When we are told that we are to be salt and light … it is not some of the time .. but all of the time … It is about being aware of who we are all of the time .. some Christians don’t have a ‘Christian’ thought all week until Sunday.  Their Bible is something they carry to church … the rest of the time .. it sits on a shelf or table waiting for the next Sunday …

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” –The Crisis, Thomas Paine.  Paine was one of the founding fathers of our country .. but was also a harsh critic of the Christian faith.

That said, many Christians are like the ‘summer soldiers’ … they like the worship and singing on Sunday because it makes them feel good .. they forget what the preacher said before they leave the church parking lot, and then they struggle with living the Christian life the rest of the week.  Do you think I am cynical?  Please don’t.  Think of me more as a guard on the wall.  When I see danger, I call the alert.  We are in a spiritual battle that is played out on the battlefield of our everyday existence.  Make Jesus your first consideration and then your determination … Living our life in Christ is more than wearing a WWJD wrist band .. toting a big Bible .. or have a fish symbol on the trunk lid of your vehicle .. God actually expects us to obey His Word in everything we do … Go figure!

‘For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise’. (Psalms 51:16-17)

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You

No comments: