Are You Lucky?

      Recently I heard a radio personality talking with people on the air about being lucky. Some callers said they were lucky and had won things or money many times. Others weren't so lucky. The radio guy stated first that he was not a lucky person. He never had won a drawing, came out good on buying a "grab bag" at an auction, or caught any fish. So he had quit those things. But he quickly followed that saying that in other ways he was indeed lucky. He is lucky to have a good wife. He is lucky to have a good family. This got me to questioning if these are merely by luck. I say they are not, but they are things you put effort into. You have a good spouse and family because you put forth effort to make it good.

      Then he also says that he is "lucky to know Jesus personally". I stopped all other thoughts to consider this. And I came away believing that luck has no place in knowing Jesus. Yes, I agree that a relationship with Him is a personal thing. But that relationship takes action on our part, not luck. We have that relationship, that knowing Jesus, because we have invested time and study to learning God's word and Jesus' commands and submitting to Him in all things.

      When people in the religious world say things like "know Jesus personally", what they nearly always insinuate is that they have salvation just because they know Him. And the man mentioned above attributes it to luck. He couldn't be farther from the truth . . . nor from a true relationship with the Savior. People who speak this way are really saying they have "accepted Jesus as their personal Savior". And many times, that's as far as it goes. Yes indeed, develop a personal relationship with Jesus but realize that a true relationship with Him will require submission to Him as well as service and obedience that will continue throughout your life.

      Consider Luke 6:46-48, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord' and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock." So you see, a personal relationship is not by luck, but is built. And in John 14:15, Jesus says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." The loving relationship with Jesus is shown by the things we do, not by luck. The proper relationship with Jesus the Christ will lead to salvation. Don't depend on luck to get you to heaven!     q                                                                            Mike Helms