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Convenience or Commitment

Convenience or Commitment

 

There are many today that want God in their life and they like the idea of heaven, but they view God and what He wants through the eyes of convenience. They are willing to do what He asks them to as long as it is convenient with their lifestyle. Now they might be willing to make some minor sacrifices in their life such as, trying to stop lying as much, or trying to treat others better, but if God’s commands get too hard, then they will either ignore what God’s Word says, or find some creative way to get around it that justifies it with their concscience.

 

One example of this comes from when Jesus had many disciples that were following Him out of convenience. They enjoyed hearing Him speak, but they also enjoyed being fed by Him and seeing the miracles done by Him. In John 6, Jesus spends a lot time talking to these disciples about how He is the bread of life. We are going to look at just a small part of His speech starting in:

 

John 6:49 "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  50 "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."  52  The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  53 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  54 "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  55 "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  57 "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  58 "This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."  59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.  60  Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  62 "What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  64 "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

 

This proves that many of these disciples that were following Him were doing so out of convenience. As long as following Jesus was easy for them, they didn’t mind it at all, but as soon it became inconvenient for them, they turned away from Jesus.

 

Many Christians are like this today. They have no problem following God and calling Jesus their Savior as long as its convenient for them, but as soon as a “spiritual speed bump” comes along, they want to turn away from God, because they cannot understand why God would want them to change certain parts of their life.

 

When you get right down to it, it is not that they can’t understand, it’s because they don’t want to understand, they don’t want to accept the truth. They are unwilling to submit themselves to God’s wisdom and allow it to be their guide because they are too prideful and self-centered. Jeremiah said it best.

 

Jeremiah 10:23:  “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”

 

The writer of Proverbs says:

 

Proverbs 3:7: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.”

 

We must not think so highly of ourselves that we allow our opinions to override the Word of God. I don’t care how smart you think you are or how reasonable your arguments may seem, we cannot match the wisdom of God, and we must learn to have the attitude that the Psalmist did:

 

Psalm 119:133-135: “Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.  Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Your precepts.  Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.”

 

In order for us to do this, we must be committed to serving God, whether it is convenient or not. Back in our example in John 6 after many of the disciples turned from Jesus He said:

 

John 6:67-69: “Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 

These men are great examples of what commitment to the Lord is all about. When we are committed, we will not allow God’s teachings to turn us away because we will be willing to accept what the Word of God says and embrace it no matter how difficult it may be because we know our Bible contains the Words of eternal life.

 
Are you willing to serve God with your whole heart, mind, and soul no matter what His Word tells you do? Are you willing to travel down that difficult road that leads to life or it that to inconvenient for you?  If you want to be pleasing to God and make it to heaven, you must be committed to serving God.
 
Jimmy
Adapted
06/13/09   PM



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