During this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam described our relationship with God as “all or nothing.” God’s love is extreme and super-abundant, and our love for Him should be the same.
Sadly, our "love" tends to vary based upon the thing God is asking us to consider. So we love God when He heals our sicknesses. We love Him when we have a place to live, money in the bank, bills paid, and a bright future ahead of us.
But what happens to that "love" when there’s no job? Or when the home has foreclosed? What if, like Job, we lose all of our children to death in one day? Or what if God asks us to get rid of something we really like?
Pastor Sam referred to the account of the rich young ruler (see Luke 18:18-30), a man who was interested in what God had to offer. “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He was a man who, according to the law, had done all the right things. But Jesus pointed out one area where the young man fell short. “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
In essence, Sunday's message implored us to not just be cognizant of love, and not just to be willing to love, but to take the next step and divest ourselves of the things that give us self-definition and self-worth, in order that our love for God might be proved exclusive.
It’s a powerful thing to know that nothing on this earth has a chokehold on your heart. And we humans are good at fooling ourselves, thinking that we’re free when we’re actually bound. We need the Spirit of God to show us where we really stand. Do we love Jesus with passion and abandon? Do we love Him so much that we’ll even walk away from the gifts He’s bestowed on us? Is Jesus worth more than the job, that talent, those incentives?
The rich young ruler gives us a clue. He refers to Jesus as “Good Teacher”. But he did not revere Jesus as Lord. Jesus, I love listening to Your stories. Jesus, Your parables are so awesome. Tell me another! But don’t tell me to divest. I love my earthly riches more than Your heavenly reward.
Today, Jesus speaks to us by His Spirit: What is this thing you love more than Me? Sell it off. Let it go. And come, follow Me. Exclusively.
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