"Nope, Not Gonna Do It!"
Have you ever said that to God?
What I am about to write about, I write only because God is telling me to. This is an area that I still have a long way grow in, so as I share, please don't think that I am speaking as one who's already learned it. Understand that I am on this journey too, so as I put some words onto this screen that are going to be somewhat hard to take in, it is for my benefit, as well as yours.
A couple of months ago I went on a mission trip to Central America. I believe that God had me on this trip to answer a prayer of mine that I had been praying for several weeks: "God, impact my life so that my life will impact others!" I found out soon enough that God didn't have me there so that I could have an impact (although I did have the pleasure of being used by Him), but so that He could impact me.
While I was there, I had the pleasure of working with a missionary who had a passion for God unlike anything I'd seen before. He had the boldness to speak into the lives of the people on the team, including mine, about things that made us uncomfortable.
On one day in particular, he spoke to us about obedience. And he said something that really convicted me. "You know why we disobey God? We disobey Him all for the sake of staying comfortable."
God pointed out one thing in particular that had been on my mind for a long time. It was this area of baptism. (Which is a whole other subject I'll have to write about sometime...) :) I was saying no up until that moment. I started wrestling with God, saying I didn't want to obey Him in this particular area because it could be embarrassing.
As I was arguing with God about it, He said something very sobering, something that completely caught me off guard. "You are willing to obey me in anything but this. But I can't use you if you say no to me." As the story goes, I did end up obeying God and experienced the blessing that came with it.
But let me ask a question... Why can't God use you if you are saying no to Him?
Well, the first answer is obvious. God uses people when they do His will, plain and simple. His will is that our lives are a display of who He is and draw others to Him. So if you are saying no to Him, then you are saying no to His will. And how can He use someone like that?
.jpg)
My next answer is a lot more sobering than the first one... I just read it this morning, and as I did, my heart cried out to God for forgiveness for the many times I've said no to Him.
Ephesians 2:2 says this: "You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil -the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God."
So the second reason God can't use you is that, by saying no to God, you are saying yes to Satan. And the bible clearly states that you can't serve two masters! Let that sink in for a moment.
What areas have you said no to God? Oh, I'm not just talking about the big things, either! Some Christians who are really passionate about the work of God step out and do great works in public, but then, behind closed doors at home, secretly do things they know God has explicitly said for them not to do.
Or maybe it is as simple as going back and making something right with someone you've hurt. It could be that God's Spirit told you to get out of bed this morning to spend time with Him, and you said, "No, I'd rather be sleeping right now." Or maybe He wanted you to stop whatever you are doing to "give a cup of cold water to one of the least of these My followers" (Mt 10:42), and to that you said, "no, I'm too busy." Or maybe, like me, its this area of baptism.
But have you ever thought that every time you say no to God, you are giving Satan room to work in your heart? Do you want that?
Samuel told Saul, "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft..." (1 Sam 15:23) The minute you say no to God, that is acting contrary to His will. And the moment you do that, you open the door wide to Satan and in effect are saying, "Come on in!"
What a sobering thought! I don't know about you, but the thought of having someone who hates my God and hates me working in my heart doesn't sit well. Oh, Christian, be so careful that you never say no to God!
Our hearts should be in a constant attitude of surrender to Christ. We should be "followers of Christ", which means that we shouldn't just name our name with His, but let Him be the ULTIMATE influence on your life. Everything He says goes. Everything He does we imitate. Everything He beckons us to do, we do.
Oh, how God has been hammering this into me! A song that brought me to tears during my time in Central America was the last verse of "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." The words of the song include these two phrases: "Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back, no turning back."
What if you are the only one in your family that spends time alone with God because He's asked you to? What if you are the only one that actually wants to serve God? What if you are the only one who gets down and gets your hands in the dirt in order to serve because God has said for you to? Or what if God has given you some mission that it seems no one else in the world is called to?
The comforting truth that I find over and over again in the book of Ephesians is this: We have been united with Christ. Ephesians 2:4 says this: "For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus."
That means that He will NEVER leave your side. He does not command us to do things that He Himself would not do. When He beckons you to do something, He leads you into it, which means HE is the first one that steps into that unknown territory!
All over the book of Ephesians it talks about how you and I are IN Christ, we are ONE with Him, we are UNITED with Him. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, by default, you have become a part of Him, never to be saparated again! He completes you. He seals you with His Spirit.
Do you believe that? Then step into obedience. Don't sacrifice your potential to Satan who hates you! Don't do that! Give it all to God. Die daily to your self and choose the life Christ calls you to! Be faithful in the little things, not just the big ones.
Everything matters to Christ. When you do dishes for Jesus instead of because you have to, that matters to Him. When you encourage a brother or sister in Christ out of love for Jesus, that matters to Him. When you share your faith with a lost person, that matters to Him! It all matters in the end.
But, here's when it gets dangerous: Crossing the line into legalsim. If we focus on obedience, rather than the One we are obeying, it's rubbish. When we obey the law, and not the Lawgiver, its worthless. When we are serving out of duty and not because we are grateful to Christ for everything He's done and we love Him so much, it's worthless!
That's why we MUST be followers of CHRIST! We must seek to know HIM before we seek to know His will.
It's all about being with Christ. Galatians 2:20 says this: "My old self is crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
That sounds like a relationship, NOT a drudgery. He's dead to himself because Christ loves him so much that he can just trust Him with everything. See how that works?
Go to Christ and let Him be the one who influences EVERY aspect of your life. You will not be disappointed, because He promises that His followers will produce fruit! (John 15)
Every day we have this choice to obey God or to say no to Him. And there will be times when you and I fail. But don't let your mistakes be an excuse to stop following hard after Christ. Rather let them be what drives you to Him. He is our only hope, dear Christian, because it is His work on the cross and the grace of God that enables us to do what we cannot otherwise do!
What I am about to write about, I write only because God is telling me to. This is an area that I still have a long way grow in, so as I share, please don't think that I am speaking as one who's already learned it. Understand that I am on this journey too, so as I put some words onto this screen that are going to be somewhat hard to take in, it is for my benefit, as well as yours.
A couple of months ago I went on a mission trip to Central America. I believe that God had me on this trip to answer a prayer of mine that I had been praying for several weeks: "God, impact my life so that my life will impact others!" I found out soon enough that God didn't have me there so that I could have an impact (although I did have the pleasure of being used by Him), but so that He could impact me.
While I was there, I had the pleasure of working with a missionary who had a passion for God unlike anything I'd seen before. He had the boldness to speak into the lives of the people on the team, including mine, about things that made us uncomfortable.
On one day in particular, he spoke to us about obedience. And he said something that really convicted me. "You know why we disobey God? We disobey Him all for the sake of staying comfortable."
God pointed out one thing in particular that had been on my mind for a long time. It was this area of baptism. (Which is a whole other subject I'll have to write about sometime...) :) I was saying no up until that moment. I started wrestling with God, saying I didn't want to obey Him in this particular area because it could be embarrassing.
As I was arguing with God about it, He said something very sobering, something that completely caught me off guard. "You are willing to obey me in anything but this. But I can't use you if you say no to me." As the story goes, I did end up obeying God and experienced the blessing that came with it.
But let me ask a question... Why can't God use you if you are saying no to Him?
Well, the first answer is obvious. God uses people when they do His will, plain and simple. His will is that our lives are a display of who He is and draw others to Him. So if you are saying no to Him, then you are saying no to His will. And how can He use someone like that?
My next answer is a lot more sobering than the first one... I just read it this morning, and as I did, my heart cried out to God for forgiveness for the many times I've said no to Him.Ephesians 2:2 says this: "You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil -the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God."
So the second reason God can't use you is that, by saying no to God, you are saying yes to Satan. And the bible clearly states that you can't serve two masters! Let that sink in for a moment.
What areas have you said no to God? Oh, I'm not just talking about the big things, either! Some Christians who are really passionate about the work of God step out and do great works in public, but then, behind closed doors at home, secretly do things they know God has explicitly said for them not to do.
Or maybe it is as simple as going back and making something right with someone you've hurt. It could be that God's Spirit told you to get out of bed this morning to spend time with Him, and you said, "No, I'd rather be sleeping right now." Or maybe He wanted you to stop whatever you are doing to "give a cup of cold water to one of the least of these My followers" (Mt 10:42), and to that you said, "no, I'm too busy." Or maybe, like me, its this area of baptism.
But have you ever thought that every time you say no to God, you are giving Satan room to work in your heart? Do you want that?
Samuel told Saul, "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft..." (1 Sam 15:23) The minute you say no to God, that is acting contrary to His will. And the moment you do that, you open the door wide to Satan and in effect are saying, "Come on in!"
What a sobering thought! I don't know about you, but the thought of having someone who hates my God and hates me working in my heart doesn't sit well. Oh, Christian, be so careful that you never say no to God!
Our hearts should be in a constant attitude of surrender to Christ. We should be "followers of Christ", which means that we shouldn't just name our name with His, but let Him be the ULTIMATE influence on your life. Everything He says goes. Everything He does we imitate. Everything He beckons us to do, we do.
Oh, how God has been hammering this into me! A song that brought me to tears during my time in Central America was the last verse of "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." The words of the song include these two phrases: "Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back, no turning back."
What if you are the only one in your family that spends time alone with God because He's asked you to? What if you are the only one that actually wants to serve God? What if you are the only one who gets down and gets your hands in the dirt in order to serve because God has said for you to? Or what if God has given you some mission that it seems no one else in the world is called to?
The comforting truth that I find over and over again in the book of Ephesians is this: We have been united with Christ. Ephesians 2:4 says this: "For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus." That means that He will NEVER leave your side. He does not command us to do things that He Himself would not do. When He beckons you to do something, He leads you into it, which means HE is the first one that steps into that unknown territory!
All over the book of Ephesians it talks about how you and I are IN Christ, we are ONE with Him, we are UNITED with Him. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, by default, you have become a part of Him, never to be saparated again! He completes you. He seals you with His Spirit.
Do you believe that? Then step into obedience. Don't sacrifice your potential to Satan who hates you! Don't do that! Give it all to God. Die daily to your self and choose the life Christ calls you to! Be faithful in the little things, not just the big ones.
Everything matters to Christ. When you do dishes for Jesus instead of because you have to, that matters to Him. When you encourage a brother or sister in Christ out of love for Jesus, that matters to Him. When you share your faith with a lost person, that matters to Him! It all matters in the end.
But, here's when it gets dangerous: Crossing the line into legalsim. If we focus on obedience, rather than the One we are obeying, it's rubbish. When we obey the law, and not the Lawgiver, its worthless. When we are serving out of duty and not because we are grateful to Christ for everything He's done and we love Him so much, it's worthless!
That's why we MUST be followers of CHRIST! We must seek to know HIM before we seek to know His will.
It's all about being with Christ. Galatians 2:20 says this: "My old self is crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
That sounds like a relationship, NOT a drudgery. He's dead to himself because Christ loves him so much that he can just trust Him with everything. See how that works?
Go to Christ and let Him be the one who influences EVERY aspect of your life. You will not be disappointed, because He promises that His followers will produce fruit! (John 15)
Every day we have this choice to obey God or to say no to Him. And there will be times when you and I fail. But don't let your mistakes be an excuse to stop following hard after Christ. Rather let them be what drives you to Him. He is our only hope, dear Christian, because it is His work on the cross and the grace of God that enables us to do what we cannot otherwise do!
Comments