Would You?

Someone recently posed a hypothetical situation to me. They asked if, were all my Christian friends to leave the area, and I was out of contact with them, I would be the one to step up and stick to my faith, going so far as to be the one to start worship and prayer and study of the Word again.

I admit, I'm not sure of the answer to the question because even when I know God is calling, I don't always answer. However, whether you know the answer or not, it's a question we must consider.

If you don't know the answer, you should consider what is keeping you from promising your all to God's mission. If it's some sort of emotional baggage, a good long sit-down with the savior couldn't hurt, and if it's something tangible, you need to seriously consider doing a little pruning in your life. Above all, talk to God about His goals for your life.

If the answer is no, the first question that comes to mind is, "Are you following Jesus?" Not "Have you accepted Him into your life," but "Now that you believe, have you begun actively following after him with everything that he gives you?" Because that, and nothing short of that, is what He asks of us. And while His grace covers the times that we are weak or fearful or unwilling, our belief in His perfect will should be daily motivating us to follow after him with all that we have.

The second question is "Why are you following Jesus?" In the bible, Christians are countless times promised all kinds of spiritual and not-so-spiritual wealth. We are promised that children of God have an eternity in Heaven, that with the faith of a mustard seed, they can move mountains, that they can ask for nations, and, if they believe with their entire soul that their request will be fulfilled, it will be. They are promised that God will send his angels down to protect them from stubbing a toe, and that He will always be with them, directing and smoothing their paths. The same things that make Him a perfect and loving God make Him incredibly attractive to those looking out for their best interests. It is also a very "in" thing to do in some circles. Everyone gets dressed up very fancy for church, and they parade past each other, and then sit for a nice, safe sermon on how God loves us, and then everyone leaves all that religious business at the door and goes out for mimosas. Please do not mistake me; fancy clothes are not from the devil, and mimosas will not turn your stomach to the enemy, nor is God's love anything short of a miracle that should be always cherished. But God cannot be picked up on Sunday morning with the dusty bible or the "good" purse, and nothing, be it fancy clothes or afternoon activities, should take away from your time with God. And as for God's love, yes, we should cherish it. We should cherish it so much that we, in turn, love God for it, and want to do His will at any cost. So, please. Examine your motives carefully.

The last group is those that answer yes, that believe they could answer God's call in such a situation. For them, I have another question. If you know God could lead His church through you in such a situation, what could He do with you right now, in your present situation? What has God placed on your heart, or in your life that He wants you to take care of? What have you been ignoring because it was too hard, or because you had other things to do, or because you weren't really sure God wanted you to do it? What opportunities could God be putting in your life for His glory? If you're not sure of the answer, this would be a good time for the previously mentioned long conversation with Jesus.

Jesus says "Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:27 NIV)." This is the ultimate challenge. No halfway, no false promises. So seriously consider what this challenge means to you.