Monday Musings ... on Tuesday

Once again I had a Monday slip by without posting my musings. Here goes on a Tuesday.

Sunday was a good day. We finally had enough snow to completely cover the grass. Winter has been different in our part of the world this year. We had some great discussion in my Sunday School class. Our small group on Sunday night was encouraging, fun and enlightening. I love that group of people.

Sunday was part 3 of the series "Yes Lord ...". We need to say Yes Lord regardless of the cost. The cost could safety. There are no guarantees with regard to physical safety. Look at Jesus. Look at the early disciples. Look at what is happening to followers of Christ today in many countries. Saying Yes Lord will cost you your convenience. This is a guarantee. If you are seeking a convenient faith, this is not it. Saying Yes Lord may cost you popularity. What matters more to you, being popular with the world or obedient to Christ? There can be many different cost to saying Yes Lord. So we need to say yes without even knowing the cost. You will not always know the cost of following Christ ahead of time. Can you do this?

The solution to our needing to say Yes Lord regardless of the cost is to kneel before the Father. In humility and recognizing who is in control. We are the servants, we are not the served. Too often we have gotten this one backwards in the American church. Part of the solution is to pray for strength. You are going to need it and your own strength will not be enough if you are really living in "Yes Lord ..." mode. The solution is to surrender yourself and your will. This might be the most difficult thing you will ever surrender. Have you given your will to Christ, or are you still trying to get him to do your will? The solution boils down to you saying yes to Christ, to his will and his way.

What has your answer been? What will you do from on? Is there something that is more than you are willing to give?

Our prayer needs to be "Father I am sick of living in between. Sick of being an up and down follower. I am weary of trying to do it on my own and in my own strength. I am tired of this mediocrity. I am sick of being halfway to where I ought to be in my relationship with you. I want to go further, I want to grow in intimacy with you. I want to quit struggling with small things. I want to quit holding onto things from the past. I want to live victorious and joyful."