One of the things I was talking to KV about is the gravity of the decision to become a Christian and how it requires whole life change. KV was worried about how he was afraid of his entire self changing if he became a Christian.
So I guess I'll write a little about that.
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Yes, the prospect of making the conscious decision to become a Christian is a huge one. One can easily look at current Christians and think, is that who I'm to become? Am I ready to do that? Am I ready to go to a village and throw my entire life away to teach the bible to these people? Is that how I want to spend the next 20-30 years of my life?
Although these might very well be fair questions, it shouldn't be the focus of one who seeks Christ. I think over and over again, God calls his followers to give up another part of their life to Him.
At first, it's acknowledging that we are sinful, and that we are in need of Christ's sacrifice for us. That simple acknowledgement, is enough to be able to call yourself Christian and be saved.
But it doesn't stop there. I'm a firm believer in the fact that if you continue to follow Christ, he'll continue to call you to follow him more. To test you to see if you really actually want this -- if you really actually value Christ and what he did for us. Some of these trials are small, maybe something as simple as,starting to go to church or attending small groups.
These trials go much farther, to taking on leadership, forgiving an enemy, forgiving a friend, forgiving a family member, being open to share your faith, reconciling with yourself and your own brokenness, fighting pornography, fighting anger issues, letting go of unhealthy relationships, changing your major, changing the way you dress, changing the events you attend, taking on my responsibility, taking on less responsibility and so much more, all the way to making the decision to give up your career for missions or stay at home with your kids, or other major life decisions.
Obviously, I'm 21 and I know very little about the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quadrants of life, and even my first 21 years are vastly different from your, the reader's, first x about of years.
It may all seem daunting from afar, but even amidst my own "pruning," I suffer but I can be grateful because I know this leads to me loving Christ even more.
There are so many Christians who seemingly have passive, lukewarm, or inactive faiths. Whether or not they are still Christian, I don't know. That isn't up to me to decide, I think each person knows individually. But I think these things are from when we say, "No, God...you can't have that part of my life," and we reject him and stop growing. In fact, we probably even take steps backward.
God, you can have my Sunday mornings and my Friday nights, but how I treat my family? You can't tell me what to do. God, you can have my small group and my worship team, but how I treat Sally (or insert other name)? No, you don't understand.
And we stop growing. We become stagnant. We chase after other things, and it's only until we realize that the thing we are chasing is futile and meaningless, do we (hopefully) come back and submit that God knew best all along. I think that's the essence of this song, which I love. God will continue to call us to submit to Him, until like Jacob, we can acknowledge that He is all we want. We want our creator
So reader, I pray for you and I pray for myself. That we would not stay stagnant --instead we would say, "Yes" to God like Peter said, "Yes...I will walk onto the water, Lord." Because I struggle, and I don't know what I'm doing, and I acknowledge that there is so much brokenness inside of my own heart and my own interactions and mind...and I don't know what You are doing, Father or what your plan is for me or for you, but Father you've brought this far. And I know you are good, Abba, and I know you love me, and I know you are sovereign. So help me say "Yes, Father....I will follow you," over and over again in my life. Again and again. For all of my days.
Because money won't fill this heart.
And comfortableness won't give me peace.
And a beautiful girl won't give me freedom.
And life is fleeting.
But Father, you are everlasting, and you give us peace and purpose and freedom. I don't know where you are taking me, but for this decision, I say, "Yes."
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