Today as I was speaking with my best friend Barbie God gave me a revelation. We were talking about a friend who continued to ask for advice on their walk with God but refused to listen to what we were trying to tell them. As we were talking about why this person might be so against what we were trying to tell them God began to reveal something in me.
We as people are creatures of comfort especially when it comes to our daily routines and lives. Its no different when we think about our walk with God. Many people find their comfort zone in God and don't want to move out of it for fear of where God will take them. I recently described a similar situation I went through in my last post. To put it short, God was pulling me out of a comfort zone I'd been in and I spent a brief period of time trying to turn away from that pull. But through that I realized that my love for God was stronger than my fear of the future. I was scared of the sacrifices I may have to make for God, as many of us are. I didn't realize at the time that that sacrifice wasn't truly a sacrifice as I saw it. It was simply a way for God to grow me closer to Him.
We are often not taught that when we come to Jesus that sacrifice is necessary. The church has failed in properly spreading the word of God. We are scared of telling people that they will have to give up lifestyles, things, ideas, and actions. When we evangelize we tell people that they can be saved and have eternal life but we leave out all the important bits of salvation. If we as a people want to get closer to God then we must follow Him in all things and not try to twist His words to fit our beliefs. We will have to give things up and make sacrifices. Many pastors and evangelists are afraid of telling people this and as a result we are surrounded by Christians who don't know the gravity of what they have decided. Christians who believe that they have a form of "Life Insurance" instead of a relationship with God.
The lie that we as a people fall into is that the sacrifices we make for God will hurt us or be negative in some way towards us. But as I said that is a lie. Once we've experienced the love God has for us we become even more obsessed with Him. Our love for God grows along with our desire to get closer to Him. In our desire to grow in Him we begin to lose our desire for the things of this world. I'm not saying that we completely stop enjoying these things or that it's simple to give some things up but it is easier. Once you've experienced the love of God what is there to compare to it? What could you possibly go back to that could measure up to His love and mercy?
People who have not yet experienced God's love, or even learned to accept His love will fall back into their old 'comforts' and habits in an effort to keep from the fear of uncertainty like my friend has. But if you've felt God's love then you can try to turn away from God but He is a jealous God and will always draw you back through His love and through your desire to know Him more. If you wont speak about sacrifice than you don't know God's love truly. In John 15:14 Jesus tells us that "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Jesus showed us the ultimate sacrifice in dying for us. His sacrifice was not only a sacrifice itself but it was love. Love for us, and a desire to see us closer to Him.
We can try all we like to satisfy ourselves with this world, but really comes of that? It is meaningless in the end if it is not for God. Ecclesiastes says it best when it says that everything is meaningless, and that everything under the sun has been done before. The entire book goes on like this describing the many things we could give our time and attention to in an effort to find meaning and fulfillment in life. Each time the writer describes the task as meaningless. The only thing he finds that has any meaning or sense of fulfillment is in the Lord. Not only does he write that we find our meaning in the Lord but every good thing in our lives is a gift of God and should be enjoyed and treated as such.
So what I'm trying to say is don't be afraid of sacrifice, it only leads to a greater love and a greater walk with God. You can try the things of this world, but until you begin to seek after God with everything in you and become willing to give up the things He's asking you to give up then you will only find emptiness. When you do begin to follow through with what He desires for you then life will take on new meaning and you will find breakthrough in the things you are struggling with. Give your all to God and see where He takes you. I dare you.
More Verses:
The book of Ecclesiastes in general
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