the basic message # E25
Romans 1:21
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Are you a Christian? How do you define Christian? It would appear that there are as many definitions of Christian as those who claim Christianity. I tried to think of what the ultimate Christian could or should be. Here’s what I came up with. A Christian would need to enter into powerful prayer with God in which the person would ask God to remove anything or anyone who is a hindrance to the person’s relationship with God. Think about the gravity of that prayer. Consider how your life could change drastically in a matter of hours. Perhaps your job is hindering your Christian walk. After praying the prayer, God allows your boss to fire you. Imagine if your best friend was a hindrance to your faith. God would orchestrate a series of events that would cause your friend to move thousands of miles away. Just the thought of such things can cause suffering.
Romans 5:2-4
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Suffering may not be a bad thing, at least if you’re serious about your relationship with God. Is your relationship with God more important than your spouse? Could you honestly ask God to remove anything standing between you and he- even if it were your spouse? How about your child? Do you love God more than your toddler? Can you say without any question that you would ask God to remove your child from your life if he felt it was necessary? I think all of us parents would have a hard time asking God to remove our child, but it’s necessary to consider the absence of our most precious possessions in order to fully worship God. Says who? You know the answer-
Matthew 10:37-38
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
That seems pretty clear doesn’t it? Perhaps you don’t have children, but you may have a new Corvette in your driveway. If it is a hindrance to your relationship with God, will you sell it? What about the Jet Skis? The weather is getting real nice down South, and many folks will be on the water this weekend. Will your worship of the Jet Ski or the bass boat prevent you from attending church? If you skip church, will you at least attempt to make up the difference by studying your bible for an hour this week? Make no mistake, when we cheat God, we cheat ourselves. In the coming week, take inventory of the relationships and possessions in your life and decide if you can pray this prayer: “Dear God, if there is anything or anyone in this world that hinders my relationship with you, I beg you to remove it immediately.” If you can’t offer this prayer to God, get out a piece of paper and write down the things that you wouldn’t be able to ask God to remove. You will now have your job clearly cut out for you.