Where Is Your Heart?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

October 25, 2012

 

I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some —1 Corinthians 9:22

 

‘A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. Never protest by saying, “If only I were somewhere else!” All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them. Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God. […] “I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). Keep these words as a wonderful reminder in your theology. It is not that you have gotten God, but that He has gotten you. God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. And why is He doing it? He is doing it for only one purpose— that He may be able to say, “This is My man, and this is My woman.” We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us.’ CHAMBERS

 

What does it mean to follow Jesus once He has called you?  What has God called you to lay down and follow.  For the apostles, they laid down what they had in their hands .. nets, tax money, parents, whatever.  Would God really ask you to do that?  Is it possible that God has some higher purpose in the scheme of eternity for you that living your life like everyone else?  Are you willing to respond to respond like those men did?

 

I was talking with a missionary recently.  Her daughter is about to have a baby.  A wonderful thing.  In the context of family life, it is a wonderful time to see your children having children .. new life .. it is a joy to be around them.  But what is God has called you to serve in a place that would require you to not be around those children?  Are you ready to follow Jesus then?  In our American Christian culture, we cannot imagine anyone who would abandon their family to serve God .. that would be irresponsible, wouldn’t it?  Or is it that we find our comfort, joy and peace in our family more than in God? If we have a choice, we will choose family.  Doesn’t that seem noble .. right …

 

Are these thing mutually exclusive?  Not necessarily … so long as they are in their proper order.  But in light of God’s call on your life … if God sends you .. If He says follow me … you must go.  Now you might physically go .. but like the song says .. ‘I left my heart in San Francisco', our hearts may not be with our service … they may be back with whatever we left behind.  The rich young ruler, the man whose father had just died, Lot’s wife, and many others .. had something in their hearts that they were not willing to lay down to follow God’s call.

 

Examine your heart … is there something that you need to put on the altar?  It requires faith .. trust … sacrifice … Jesus does not stop to wait, He keeps walking … (Romans 12:1,2)

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)