I used to be fat…REALLY fat…I weighed over 300 pounds and wore a size 50 in the waist.
THAT IS HUGE…
I hated being that way…but…I refused to give up sweets, soft drinks and the four to five extra snacks I enjoyed each day (in addition to my three HUGE meals!)
I lacked self control (and the willingness to exercise!)
I tried to blame my condition on others…on stress…on Congress…on whoever…but at the end of the day the problem was me…I was in the middle of a problem that I had created…and the only way to get past it was to let go of some things I really loved.
I thought about this the other day as I read the story found in Luke 18:18-30…the one about the Rich Young Ruler (which is found in three out of four Gospels…must be pretty important!)
The most hard hitting/convicting section of this passage is what Jesus said to the guy after he had claimed he was doing some good things and really trying to live in the right way…
“You still lack one thing…” Luke 18:22 THEN Jesus went on to point out the ONE thing the guy lacked….and followed it up with a RADICAL challenge to make an extreme committment and sacrifice. (Jesus doesn’t play games…He always comes after the heart!)
What was the dudes response? (Luke 18:23) He walked away…the price was literally too high. He was doing some good things and even had the guts to approach Jesus. He KNEW there was something wrong with his life…but when Jesus pressed down on him he chose his love for stuff over becoming radcially devoted to Jesus.
He KNEW what He needed to do…but refused to walk away.
SO…how about you? What is it that the Lord continues to press into…and you refuse to obey?
Maybe you are dating someone that you know isn’t the Lord’s best for you…you know you should break up…but the thought of being single haunts you! Don’t let a date hold you back from God unleashing Ephesians 3:20 in your life.
Maybe you are in a job that pays the bills…but you know the Lord is leading you in a different direction. You WANT to follow Him…but are scared because you are in love with the lifestyle that your paycheck supports. Don’t let stuff hold you back from God unleashing Ephesians 3:20 in your life.
Maybe you know you are called to plant a church…but you have no idea how and when and where. You want to do this…but fear and uncertainty haunt you every time you think you might actually attempt this. Hell is too hot for you to live in fear…if He called you to do it…do it…and don’t let fear hold you back from God unleashing Ephesians 3:20 in your life.
I could go on and on…but let me end with this…what did the rich young ruler walk away from? What COULD have happened in his life? What WOULD he have become had he completely sold out to Jesus? (I am sure he had the same thoughts many times after refusing to follow!)
Life is too short for us to blow through the next 10-20 years and then look back on “what might have been!”
AND…we will never accomplish great things for God without first making great sacrifices!
SO…what are you holding back? What are you NOT surrendering to Him…your fear, your money, your career…YOUR LIFE?
My prayer for all of us is that we will live in COMPLETE surrender…and in doing so see Ephesians 3:20 happen on a personal level AND a church level unlike anything we’ve ever seen!
God never asks us to give something up without blessing us with something even greater…
SO go for it!