the basic message #E38
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Have you completely turned your life over to God? Most of us think we have, but perhaps we need to really consider what that means. God seems to be playing “hide and seek” with me. Just about the time I feel like I’ve found him, I realize I’ve only found another flawed man. If all I need is a flawed man to follow, I can follow myself. Most Christians erroneously believe that they can, at a whim, call God to their side like some sort of butler. I believe God is always eager to hear our prayers, but when we seek him at a higher level, he pauses and waits to see just how sincere we are.
James 4:13-14
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Have you completely turned your life over to God? How can you know? I recently entered into prayer earnestly seeking God, and the prayer went something like this, “God, I give you my life completely, do what you want with me, send me wherever you desire”. Sounds good, right? Let me share my immediate thought as soon as I prayed the part, “send me wherever you want to send me”. I told God, “But please don’t send me to China”. Well, well, well. It would appear that I’ll turn my life over to God with certain conditions. My “fine print” has a few limitations on what I’ll do and where I’ll go. How about you? Can you, without any reservation pray that you’ll do whatever God wants and go wherever he wants you to go? You are aware, of course, that Christians are murdered in China on a fairly regular basis. If God tells you to go to China, will you go?
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Who shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
When the Lord calls, will you say, “Send me!” Notice the exclamation point after “Send me”. Isaiah not only would go, he wanted to go. I want to find God, but I can’t give up control, (as if I have any control). I earnestly believe that God waits outside of my door, ready to allow me ultimate fellowship with him as soon as I can honestly pray, “Have thine own way, Lord”. Please understand something- God will have his own way regardless of what we think or do, but until we become obedient disciples, God won’t promote us to a higher level of fellowship with him.
When God says, “Who shall I send?”, will you say, “Send me!”? If God tells you to sell your home and your bass boat and move to China to be a missionary, will you go? That’s a big commitment, so how about if he tells you to go to minister to the homeless in Chicago? Will you go? How about if he simply says to move to a smaller home in your own city, and minister to alcoholics and drug addicts? Will you go? Still too much to sacrifice? How about if he says to pray for a solid hour each day in the comfort of your beautiful new home with the bass boat and the Z71 in the carport? Can you at least do that? The only comfort I get from realizing I won’t offer myself in total servanthood to God is that there are millions just like me. What a pitiful form of comfort.