All In

Life really does necessitate that we decide who or what we are going to serve. The words of Joshua are perpetually relevant as he turned to the people and said, “choose for yourselves this day who you will serve… but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Josh.24:15). Without a resolute decision in this regard we will be driven and tossed by every whim, trend or pressure that comes our way. Our heart will be plagued with an emotional schizophrenia until we settle this question regarding our purpose and direction. We must come face to face with the timeless words of Elijah who asks, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him, but if Baal is God, follow him” (1Kgs.18:21). We cannot sanely drift through life without a decision. It behooves us to choose our “master”; Jesus said, two will not work. Lukewarm, he warned, is not a reasonable option. James warns that a “double-minded man” is “unstable in all he does” (Jms.1:8). So chose. Will the Triune God be your Master or something else?

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God's Ownership

Living the Christian life as we ought requires that we periodically ponder the significance of the biblical statement: “You are not your own; you were bought with a price” (1Cor.6:19-20). When we recognize that God not only gives us “life and breath and everything else” (Ac.17:25), but he is actually the Owner of our very lives, it changes the way we think and the way we live. We are his by virtue of creation, but more than that, as Christians, we were actually “purchased” or redeemed by Christ and therefore we are doubly his! This should have a radical effect on the decisions we make and the lives we lead. We cannot be autonomous or self-directed about the choices we face. It really then should not be about what “we” want to do, or where “we” want to live, or about what “we” want to accomplish. The questions rather, have to do with where we choose to invest God’s man or woman – what we do with God’s body, God’s life and God’s asset (Eph.1:14). All of these choices will not only be made with great deference to the perceived desires of our Owner, but they will then be carried out with a sense of stewardship. While Christians sometimes see the use of their possessions as a stewardship, we must think more profoundly about the entirety of our lives being an act of stewardship. So be sure and consider how you direct God’s man or woman today. It is an amazing responsibility and honor! And may it be that one day we hear, “Well done good and faithful servant” (Mt.25:21).

--Pastor Mike

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