The other day I was outside lying on my deck and reading a book. It was hot outside, like sunburn weather hot. I was thirsty, so I went inside to get some water. You know when you walk into a building on a sunny day and everything seems so dark inside that you feel half blind? That's what happened to me. I walked in, turned to quickly and hit into my fridge. Yeah, I'll admit it. Also, after lying in the warm sun the house seemed cold. After a few minutes my eyes adjusted and I actually considered staying inside to watch a movie. Yep, even though it was the nicest day I'd seen since March, I was tempted to stay inside (lazy, I know). Oddly, this 3 meter walk for water reminded me a whole lot of my relationship with Jesus.
When I'm with Him, when I'm walking in His will, everything is bright and good and warm. Sure, there's some wind but everything just seems better. And then I see something or I'm tempted to go inside... to take a small step into the sinful thing that I know isn't in my Savior's will. It's only little. It's one show or one bad word. Just once. I'll walk 3 meters in the door and come back out, I promise. And then I bang into something and look around and realize it's a lot darker and much colder away from His will. So I think- I'll just stay here for a minute and then go read my bible or do something holy. But that minute turns into an hour and that hour turns into a day. Before I notice it, I'm stuck. I said I'd only walk 3 meters but all of a sudden I'm the whole way in and I don't even want to go back to Jesus. That's what sin does to us. It takes us out of the warm bliss we get in the presence of Jesus and sticks us into a considerably darker and worse place. And we, who are so dang human, start to believe that it's actually better here. It's not that bad or that dark or that cold. We start to enjoy it and satan smiles because we fell right into the trap that he set up- that sin is better than salvation.
When we get to that point, friends, I think maybe we need to pry our eyes from whatever has our attention and turn them instead to the cross. To the centerpoint of Christianity. When we do that, when we turn our eyes to Jesus and all He's done, we will realize that nothing is better than Him... That sin really is dark and it really is better to be outside, walking with Him and standing in His light.
I'll be honest- it'll hurt, dear one. It will cost you. Someone once said "If you're following Jesus and haven't lost much of what you're holding on to- follow a little closer." Walking with Him comes with a price. But once you step out- once you pick up your cross and stand beside Him, you'll realize that it's brighter and warmer by His side. And you won't want to go back in- not even 3 meters.
"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follw me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet lose their soul?" - Luke 9:23-25
When I'm with Him, when I'm walking in His will, everything is bright and good and warm. Sure, there's some wind but everything just seems better. And then I see something or I'm tempted to go inside... to take a small step into the sinful thing that I know isn't in my Savior's will. It's only little. It's one show or one bad word. Just once. I'll walk 3 meters in the door and come back out, I promise. And then I bang into something and look around and realize it's a lot darker and much colder away from His will. So I think- I'll just stay here for a minute and then go read my bible or do something holy. But that minute turns into an hour and that hour turns into a day. Before I notice it, I'm stuck. I said I'd only walk 3 meters but all of a sudden I'm the whole way in and I don't even want to go back to Jesus. That's what sin does to us. It takes us out of the warm bliss we get in the presence of Jesus and sticks us into a considerably darker and worse place. And we, who are so dang human, start to believe that it's actually better here. It's not that bad or that dark or that cold. We start to enjoy it and satan smiles because we fell right into the trap that he set up- that sin is better than salvation.
When we get to that point, friends, I think maybe we need to pry our eyes from whatever has our attention and turn them instead to the cross. To the centerpoint of Christianity. When we do that, when we turn our eyes to Jesus and all He's done, we will realize that nothing is better than Him... That sin really is dark and it really is better to be outside, walking with Him and standing in His light.
I'll be honest- it'll hurt, dear one. It will cost you. Someone once said "If you're following Jesus and haven't lost much of what you're holding on to- follow a little closer." Walking with Him comes with a price. But once you step out- once you pick up your cross and stand beside Him, you'll realize that it's brighter and warmer by His side. And you won't want to go back in- not even 3 meters.
"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follw me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet lose their soul?" - Luke 9:23-25