Serving God on OUR terms

Have you spent much time thinking about what it means to give your life to God? As my lovely wife said the other day, “it makes your thinker, think,” if you think on it!” Much of the time it seems that folks are more than willing to accept God’s help when they need it, but still want to serve God on their terms! That seems a strange arrangement for people who are called to make a total commitment to the cause of Christ, (but it is one we often seem to want to make). We are happy to accept God’s help and to serve him; to be involved with His work, as long as it falls within what we are willing to do.

I read an interesting little story that speaks about someone’s unwillingness to go beyond what they wish to do. “The young woman sat in her stalled car, waiting for help. Finally two men walked up to her. “I’m out of gas (petrol),” she said with a big smile. “Could you push me to the fueling station?” The men ready to impress a pretty girl, put their muscles to work and began to push the car. After pushing the car for several blocks one of the men looked up, exhausted, to see that they had just passed a fueling station. “Why didn’t you didn’t turn in there?” he yelled. “Oh, I never go there,” the girl shouted back. “You have to pump the gas yourself at that station.”

So many people are fine with commitment, as long it is someone else’s commitment! They are willing for the car to be pushed to the station as long as they are in the driver’s seat, so to speak and even then, don’t require too much of them.

In Matthew 15 Jesus is talking to some folks who claimed to be the “religious cream of the crop,” the Pharisees and Scribes (teachers of the Old Testament law). In verses 7-8, Jesus tells them: “(You) Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me’.” (NKJV) Jesus is talking about commitment here!

Later on in Matthew 23 he points out once again, that those who claimed to be religious leaders didn’t live up to the commitment for which God calls. In verse 3 he told the people, “So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.” (NLT)

Commitment is strange thing, because most of the time it can only truly be judged by God and you, yourself. I can’t judge your heart, I’m limited to judging only the things I see on the outside and often don’t do a good job of that. God however knows what is really going on in your life and so do you, (Hebrews 4:12).

The question for us may be, are you in the driver’s seat or pushing and letting God do the steering for your life? God wants us to let him drive! Are you willing to give up control of your life to God and let him drive? My prayer for you and myself is that we are!

Russ Lawson

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