21 April 2007
The Shelf Life of your average Christian Commitment - Part 5 and FINAL installment
Several days ago I took off on a rant about Christian commitment and how anemic it seems to be these days. That was the bad news. We saw the damage it can do as well as the disappointment it causes as it fails to deliver a closer relationship to God (or anyone else for that matter).
We also learned that we are not the first generation to believe that the way to gain God’s favor or at least improve one’s standing before the Almighty was to observe a certain list of rules and regulations. Hopefully you saw that Jesus did not come to bring rules and regulations, but rather, relationship. If you got that much you got all you needed.
But what are you going to do about it?
How about working on the relationship?
How about making your relationship with Jesus Christ the number one priority of your life?
You see, following a rule book will never get you where you want to go. You and I are not capable of flawlessly adhering to a long list of rules and regulations. And aren’t you glad God never asks us too? I am.
No, God made it easy. He gave us the cript notes — a little cheat sheet, if you will.
When Jesus was asked one time what was the greatest commandment He answered that to love the Lord with everything you’ve got is the most important commandment and to love your neighbor (all others) as much as you love yourself is almost as important. Check out His answer in Matthew 22:37–40. Or you can click here and read it right now, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=22&verse=36&end_verse=38&version=65&context=context
Why is this key? Well, incase you missed it, it is because someone who loves God that much and others that much is not likely to murder, lie, deceive, cheat, worship other (false) gods…OR ANYTHING ELSE THATS WRONG!
Following rules is done in your own strength.
Loving the Lord links you up with HIS STRENGTH.
Which would you rather have?
Oh, and as far as commitment goes…you know, the question that started this whole journey in the first place? It fits in with all the other things we wish we were better at. You’ll continue to STINK at it as long as you approach it with a New Year’s resolution type determination. And as long as that’s your tact, the shelf life of your average commitment will be short indeed.
BUT!!
Love the Lord your God with all you’ve got and watch your commitments last a lifetime!
6 Comments currently posted.
Kris McGraw says:
Michael says:
Could you have stated the obvious more exact? No, the problem is not God. It is us. God and His ways have not changed. Jesus said that He is the Bread of Life (the Word made flesh - John 1). Ezekiel eat Jesus so to speak hundreds of years before Christ came to earth. We can eat Jesus thousands of years after.
A problem I see is: “Oh, all I have to do is just read the Bible everyday and I will have everything I need.” Not to say that the first part is a bad idea. It is a bad thing to think that is it. Non-Christian Biblical scholars read the Bible everyday. Reading the Bible like it is a chore is worthless.
Rob is right. It is about loving. Total and true love! We need to be spending time desperately seeking God. Like a husband and wife who are intimately joined, we have to be totally satisfied yet totally desirous of wanting to be even closer to God. I can think of no better way to describing it. Sorry if I made anyone blush and to those who are not married, but that is how God has shown it to me. (Total bunny trail here. Do you wonder if that is why there is so much sexual sin? Are people filling that void that yearns for intimacy with the Creator with sexual sin?)
God makes it a point to point out His Love being so great toward us throughout the scriptures. I am starting to see how it is suppose to be equally given in return. No, we cannot give it equally, but we could give it completely, like God gives it to us.
What does that mean for me? for you?
JT says:
Way to keep this simple Rob! I truly believe that some denominations are blinded by this game that Satan plays about living life by the rules. Their intent in the beginning is admirable, but after a while the rules become more important then the relationship with God. A relationship with God takes work, but it shouldn’t be hard work. If it is hard work then I hate to say it, our heart is not right… Thank-you for reminding us that DAILY we need to surrender to God. That we need to be OPEN to His leading. We need to be ATTENTIVE to his whisper. God wants us to chase after Him, to love Him with everything that we are.
Great service this weekend! Tell everyone that they did a great job!!
Michael says:
We need more blogging here people! Think of it this way, we are like the apostles of the New Testament church sitting around talking Godly things only over the Internet.
I want to have fellow believers I can have dialogue with going back and forth on the things of God so we all can grow, support each other and build The Church. Anyone else in?
Kate says:
Allright Michael, I’ll join the conversation.
I think it is pretty amazing how the most important commandment, and the second, are not only so tied to each other, but to God.
I’ve been thinking how at times I need God’s love so much just to help me love him better! But the awesome thing is that he does just that, he fills me with more love so I can love him in return! and of course, to really show him love we need to love others, which, again, God will help us do by the power of his love! So, basically, isn’t God amazing?! And he loves us!! How can we not make him our priority?
Michael says:
I think my problem all to often is that I do not make His my priorty. I need to be more desperate. He was and is.
Here again, Jesus is our prime example. I have often believed that if we model our lives after Jesus’s life, we would be more effective in our own lives as Christians and the church would be more effective in it’s purpose to evangalize the world. In Ezekiel 3 we see where God comes to the prophet with a scroll and tells him to eat it. This scroll is the very words of God Himself. Not only is the scroll good to taste, but it gives life to all who partake. If we don’t like this life we’re living, what we need to do is get it in the position where it is actually worth living. The only way to do that, and to make our shelf life longer, is to give it over to the One who is the Author of life to begin with. Love Him and let Him live your life for you.