Reprinted with permission.
It's been five sleeps since most of us last gathered with
our church family to pray, sing songs of praise and listen to God's word.
In a few days we will again drive to those places of worship while
driving past the homes of people who do not find God necessary. These are
people who have chosen to stay away from church because they would rather sleep
in, take a child to a sport practice or game, cast a lure into a lake, hit a
golf ball or gather with friends at Timmy's to share a few laughs. Many
of these people are our friends who we have socialized with, talked about their
lives, and have been on our prayer lists. Many of them are satisfied with
the lives they have built for themselves, with their homes, their jobs and
their children; people we view life as good enough and see no need for Jesus.
Why indeed. Scripture tells us that there is no
difference between any of us and we all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God (Romans 3:23). Sin interferes with day-to-day living and has
eternal repercussions. However, many, including believers, have chosen to
define sin based on their circumstances while believing they are doing life
well enough. They see the bible as antiquated musings that do not apply to 2016
and unfortunately, many believers contribute to this mindset. If we stand some
followers alongside those who choose not to believe and compare their lives, we
probably would see no difference. These type of believers act as if they
had no hope. They complain about the same things, they are stressed and anxious
when family issues arise, they rant about their neighbours, complain about
their politicians, question church decisions and offer similar excuses on
Sunday mornings when they choose to skip church. Side-by-side some are very
much like their non-believing friends because life seems good and they see no
need for God beyond Sunday mornings. They see no need to set aside time to
pray, to reading scripture, or to want to share the Good News with others.
There is an intentionality required to be a follower of
Christ. It leads to rewards both on earth and in heaven; peace and calmness on
earth and an eternity of happiness in heaven. It cannot come about with part
time commitment. It requires the follower to commit to Jesus. It requires
reading the bible and not just to say they read so many pages but to say they
read a story about God's love. A love that encourages them when they are trying
to understand a disruptive neighbour, deal with an angry driver in traffic, or
encounter a heavily tattooed homeless youth wearing clothes they could never
imagine should be worn by anyone. A follower, who chooses to read God's word
and talk with Him, sees the world differently. When they respond to what they
read, they make different choices including wanting to share Jesus with those
who believe that life is good enough. Followers of Jesus should be able to
share about a life that is different from the one lived before they choose to
become a follower. They should want to talk about the circumstances that lead
to their decision to follow Jesus, and they should be able to speak glowingly
about a life transformed because of the commitment to follow. The committed
follower will want to share this Good news because their life is not the same
as the friend who does not know God.
Believers should seek to become holy not to suggest they are
better but to acknowledge they are transformed. They should want a 24/7
relationship with God that goes beyond satisfying our carnal desires; a
relationship that gives hope to fulfilling spiritual and emotional needs.
Believers should want to experience life differently so that when they are
faced with lives' difficulties they can respond with a peace and calmness.
Committed believers should love those who do know Jesus but should no longer
want to be like them. The life of a believer should cause others to ask
questions and point them to Jesus and not remark "we are no
different." Are you a committed follower of Jesus?
Blessings
Anton Topilnyckyj
Prayer Coordinator
Military Christian Fellowship of Canada/ Fraternité
Chrétienne Militaire du Canada
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