How is it that some people let the seeds of understanding be eaten by birds, or let the soil go untreated so that the seeds cannot take root after God has arrived in their lives?
What does it truly take when God has reached out, placed His hand upon their life and sealed them for His works and plans...and willed the knowledge of who exactly Christ can be in our lives...but they still turn their back on the only Person worthy of their attention and love? What is it that grows so big and strong in their heart that they cannot give up the world much less themselves for the sake of One who gave His life for the world? Who could do that and why would they? I can't imagine the rejection Jesus must have felt then and still feels today.
I'm convinced its those who are so totally wrapped up in what they perceive to be "the life." It's all about what the world says we should do...as the Bible states. Timothy 3:2 is an example of this: People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy...
It's all about understanding the greatness of this mystery of salvation, about being able to fathom to what depths and heights Christ went to for mankind and to be able to picture Him bloodied and bruised all for the sake of each one of us. He'd have died just for you...He'd have died just for me. Who else can any of us claim would do that for us... in this world?
How can life in this world be more important than the love of Christ...especially when it can be in us just by asking? Oh, I know this is the way of the world and I realize there are some who will not bow their knee to any authority but their own. I'm sorry those people don't want to know the goodness of the other side of life...in Christ.
I've heard some say Christianity is a crutch. It's far from that. The Bible tells us that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who have been saved it is the power of God (1Corinthians 1:18). I would much rather know that I have God's power on my side, especially knowing how talented He is in His creation alone! He becomes the foundation of the most important life we have and that's eternal life. Who cares what the world thinks? Many in the world have not yet experienced God's saving grace. They may think they have it but if there is any animosity, any denial about what the Word of God states is truth, they aren't there yet. They haven't arrived. There's always hope, though. A sincere prayer to God to make Himself known is all it takes. He will heal that mind that denies the need for Christ in their lives, daily, in every aspect of their lives.
If we don't meditate on God on a daily basis, we've not arrived. If we aren't actively seeking Him, we're not there. We need to let Him speak to us. We need to let Him show us who He is. We need to ask Him with a hungry heart to reveal Himself. Nothing will never be the same after that. Being raised in the church doesn't count; going to church every week won't work either. It's wrapping our hearts around what Jesus has done and being ever so thankful for this that will. If we don't think about Him it can't happen.
When we are able to sacrifice our own ideas, goals and time to be like Christ, we have achieved that one thing He desires the most. That's when we honor Him. That's when He looks at us with pleasure and says well done. That's when we are on the right road. Not when our work is more important, or our hobbies or leisure time, but when we are doing something we don't necessarily enjoy doing, taking some of our own precious time to do it and knowing someone else will be pleased.
Do we love ourselves more than we love others? How would Jesus have answered that about Himself? Did He love Himself more? Did He ever say He was too busy to speak to someone, to heal someone else, to be compassionate to yet another? Did He ever take a vacation? It was hard for Him to turn people away. Yes, He had to occasionally because, like all of us, He needed to rest. And when He rested it was to regroup with His Father. But His days were filled with people, teaching them, sacrificing His time for them, healing, prophesying. And the only thing that was ever about Him was how He could save others. He knew in time He would be sacrificing His life for everyone. Can you say you would sacrifice one afternoon of doing something you really, really want to do to be with or do something for someone else? I hope there's not a catch in your spirit....
When have we arrived? When we have gotten beyond ourselves and have allowed God to work through us, to sacrifice of ourselves. That's the arrival.
1John 2:16, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
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