How do would you feel being the odd one out? Most of us would feel uncomfortable just thinking about it. Let's consider Abraham who while in Ur of the Chaldean's (located in present day Iraq) did not have a bad life in fact he was quite well off, leaving for no apparent reason. Imagine the barrage of questions he would have had to face from friends and family alike. He would have said I'm moving because God told me to go to Canaan. People would have thought Abraham has gone mad...in fact I think they would have told it to his face! They would have made fun of him until the day he left. Regardless, Abraham continued in what he believed. He ended up pitching his tent at Haran for a few years until the death of his father Terah, following which he gathered all that was his and made his way to Canaan.
"And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. " Gen 12:5
By now Abraham had become even more wealthier than before, in fact he had own private army to protect his possessions. Looking at his life one would wonder why he didn't want to settle down. These days we see people trying to settle down in their lives...you buy a house, a car, and maybe even a pet! Some begin to settle as soon as they get married...actually the only real settling that takes place is of fat around our waistlines! A man of God can never really settle, because it is God who tells him where to pitch his tent. Abraham would have again faced ridicule from those around him asking him if he was out of his mind. The reason it would have been hard was because there were hardly anyone in his day who would have even heard of the God the Father. To say that God (who was unknown to them) spoke to him, was like kids these days having an imaginary friend who tells them to do things...who would believe that such things might be true? Another man who would have really had a tough time would have been Noah. God told him that a flood was coming so build a boat. It would take this man the next 120 yrs to finish the task and while he was about it imagine the comments he would have got whenever he spoke about his conversation with God. We get so disheartened when people speak negatively to us, I would say none of us would have had to face negativity to this extant.
In life, I have observed that majority of the people make decisions that keeps them in right standing with the majority. People are afraid of being the odd one out, unless your one of those who don't really care what people think. The same is the condition of people once they come to the saving knowledge of Christ. It becomes quite obvious that most people in the church make decisions that are popular with the rest of the fold. Funny, how some people prefer to be right before people even if it means to be wrong with God so long as it sounds spiritual. Everybody wants to be blessed and be in an intimate relationship with Him, but what they don't realize is that there is a price to be paid. Many love to have the benefits without the pain attached. The question that arises is do I love anything else more than the one whom I confess to love. I say I love God but do I love anything else more than Him is the million dollar question.
There was once a young ruler who sought an answer from Jesus on what must he do to inherit eternal life. Jesus promptly said to keep the commandments to which the young man happy agreed since he has been diligently keeping them from his childhood. The young ruler would have thought that it's that simple to get into heaven! No sooner this thought would have crossed his mind Jesus asked him the unthinkable.
"Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich." Lk 18:22-23
I am sure the poor guy didn't quite get the importance of the question. Jesus said "Follow Me", these are the very words that drew the other disciple to Him and here is a person being offered to be a disciple of Christ and he blatantly refuses without giving it even a though for the love of money was too great in him.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Rom 12:1
The price we must pay is ourselves. I am to be a living sacrifice where I lay myself upon the Altar allowing God to consume the world out of me. It is indeed an ordeal but it is said that it is my reasonable service to Him. Paul puts it this way:
"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ...I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. "Php 3:8-14
Jesus indicated the same thing when He said:
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Mat 7:13-14
Going along with the majority may actually prove fatal as King Ahab found out in 1Kings 22. God wants us to choose His ways and not what we think are His ways. We cannot fully grasp the wisdom behind His thoughts therefore let's leave it to Him. I must give up my will and chose to do His, Jesus is the greatest example of this statement. He obeyed God unto His death, God is not asking us to die like that but He is asking us to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, who will help us make the right decisions even if it means that I loose all my friends. People who refuse the accept Christ do not do so because they want to but rather fear of loosing out on acceptance from the people. Jesus faced the same situation in His time as well:
"Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue" Mat 12:42
Now had that young ruler accepted Jesus' offer he would have been an outcast in his society. Do we know how much society influences our decisions in life? We have given it more power than God in our lives. We need to change and change we must if we are to be fruitful to Him. I encourage one and all to be bold and of a good courage for the Lord thy God is with thee. Lay your desires and seek His and see what He can do. God bless
"And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. " Gen 12:5
By now Abraham had become even more wealthier than before, in fact he had own private army to protect his possessions. Looking at his life one would wonder why he didn't want to settle down. These days we see people trying to settle down in their lives...you buy a house, a car, and maybe even a pet! Some begin to settle as soon as they get married...actually the only real settling that takes place is of fat around our waistlines! A man of God can never really settle, because it is God who tells him where to pitch his tent. Abraham would have again faced ridicule from those around him asking him if he was out of his mind. The reason it would have been hard was because there were hardly anyone in his day who would have even heard of the God the Father. To say that God (who was unknown to them) spoke to him, was like kids these days having an imaginary friend who tells them to do things...who would believe that such things might be true? Another man who would have really had a tough time would have been Noah. God told him that a flood was coming so build a boat. It would take this man the next 120 yrs to finish the task and while he was about it imagine the comments he would have got whenever he spoke about his conversation with God. We get so disheartened when people speak negatively to us, I would say none of us would have had to face negativity to this extant.
In life, I have observed that majority of the people make decisions that keeps them in right standing with the majority. People are afraid of being the odd one out, unless your one of those who don't really care what people think. The same is the condition of people once they come to the saving knowledge of Christ. It becomes quite obvious that most people in the church make decisions that are popular with the rest of the fold. Funny, how some people prefer to be right before people even if it means to be wrong with God so long as it sounds spiritual. Everybody wants to be blessed and be in an intimate relationship with Him, but what they don't realize is that there is a price to be paid. Many love to have the benefits without the pain attached. The question that arises is do I love anything else more than the one whom I confess to love. I say I love God but do I love anything else more than Him is the million dollar question.
There was once a young ruler who sought an answer from Jesus on what must he do to inherit eternal life. Jesus promptly said to keep the commandments to which the young man happy agreed since he has been diligently keeping them from his childhood. The young ruler would have thought that it's that simple to get into heaven! No sooner this thought would have crossed his mind Jesus asked him the unthinkable.
"Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich." Lk 18:22-23
I am sure the poor guy didn't quite get the importance of the question. Jesus said "Follow Me", these are the very words that drew the other disciple to Him and here is a person being offered to be a disciple of Christ and he blatantly refuses without giving it even a though for the love of money was too great in him.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Rom 12:1
The price we must pay is ourselves. I am to be a living sacrifice where I lay myself upon the Altar allowing God to consume the world out of me. It is indeed an ordeal but it is said that it is my reasonable service to Him. Paul puts it this way:
"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ...I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. "Php 3:8-14
Jesus indicated the same thing when He said:
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Mat 7:13-14
Going along with the majority may actually prove fatal as King Ahab found out in 1Kings 22. God wants us to choose His ways and not what we think are His ways. We cannot fully grasp the wisdom behind His thoughts therefore let's leave it to Him. I must give up my will and chose to do His, Jesus is the greatest example of this statement. He obeyed God unto His death, God is not asking us to die like that but He is asking us to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, who will help us make the right decisions even if it means that I loose all my friends. People who refuse the accept Christ do not do so because they want to but rather fear of loosing out on acceptance from the people. Jesus faced the same situation in His time as well:
"Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue" Mat 12:42
Now had that young ruler accepted Jesus' offer he would have been an outcast in his society. Do we know how much society influences our decisions in life? We have given it more power than God in our lives. We need to change and change we must if we are to be fruitful to Him. I encourage one and all to be bold and of a good courage for the Lord thy God is with thee. Lay your desires and seek His and see what He can do. God bless
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