“Half-Way”

There are times in all of our lives when we are tired… I’ve been there, you’ve been there, who hasn’t been there? But my question is no matter how tired or worn out you are, are you giving God a half-way effort? Inspired by a devotional, with this same thought in it, I started to give this a lot of consideration.   We are constantly trying to cut corners in life….. from the microwave to the drive-thru to our 10 second prayer before we eat, we are in a hurry and we are always looking for a way to get things done faster.  Maybe you even cut out for lunch 10 minutes early… or maybe you just didn’t give that presentation all you had… or maybe you just did enough to get by.

I think we give half-way efforts when time or money seem to get in the way… but even more so when we simply are reluctant to commit. And when half-hearted commitment is present, failure can’t be far behind.

Let me ask you to take a look at an example that Jesus Christ set himself. When God sent his son to die on the cross, Jesus knew what was asked of Him.  I can’t help but wonder where we would be if Jesus had done a half-way job.  What if he had chosen to lay down his life a different way, choosing the least painful way to go? Or what if He had chosen to call on the angels to save him from death on the cross in the end?  First of all, Christ did what was asked of Him, but on top of that He went above and beyond.

 He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed.  Isaiah 53:5

Jesus could have been selfish, he could have done what was best for him, but he didn’t. He is the embodiment of Selfless/Servant Leadership.  I have heard people say servant leadership isn’t in the bible, “that is a word the church made up”.  Well maybe it is, but it is so pertinent to the life of Christ that I can’t ignore it. If God gave his all for me, then I want to give my all for him. In every circumstance, not just when it is convenient for me.  I don’t want to give God a half-way job, even if I’m tired. If Jesus can endure the cross for me, then I can surely do my best for him.  Jesus was committed to us and seeing us reconciled to God the father… He was committed… and in case you missed it the first two times, He was committed. When you are truly committed giving your best is a privilege, not an obligation.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, Colossians 3:23

If we are to work at something with all our heart as unto the Lord, then “half-way” just can’t fit in that equation.

“O Lord, grant that in some way it may rain every day, say from about midnight until three o’clock in the morning, but you see, it must be gentle and warm so that it can soak in; grant that at the same time it would not rain on campion, alyssum, helianthemum, lavender, and the others which you know are drought-loving plants ( I will write their names on a bit of paper if you like) and grant that the sun may shine the whole day long, but not everywhere ( not for instance, on spiraea or on gentian, plantain lily and rhododendron) and not too much; that there may be plenty of dew and little wind, enough worms, no plant-lice and snails, no mildew, and that once a week thin liquid manure and guano may fall from Heaven. Amen”

How funny…. That like this gardener we try to tell God what to do. When in reality, we are speaking from our limited, finite point of view.  I had to ask myself “Who do you think you are? What right do I have to tell God what is best for me??”  We want God to answer our requests the way we want. What if God has something better for us?  We are so much better off when we simply state our requests and then trust Him to respond from His eternal storehouse with His great generosity and unquestionable wisdom. When will we as the Body of Christ be fully persuaded??? He will take better care of us than we could ourselves…  Jeremiah 10:23 says “I know Lord, that my life is not my own. I cannot plan my own course, so correct me Lord, but please be gentle.” Gods course is so much better than any plan we could make for ourselves we simply have to trust Him.

Well, I’m sure that no one wants to be in a relationship of any kind with some one who gossips about you.  Am I right? I’m also sure that no one wants to be in a relationship with some one who makes you feel bad about yourself, or someone who is only ever thinking of themselves and not you. They take and take and take some more.  So, if no one wants to be in a relationship with people like this, then why do we all do it?

This is a test for all believers no matter how long you have been a Christian.  The Devil who is very real, would like nothing better than to use someone to cause you to fall or worse, turn away from God.  These Dysfunctional relationships are not going to help you become more like Christ.  You have probably heard the saying “You are what you eat” well, it is the same with the people you are around.  YOU ARE WHO YOU HANG OUT WITH.  When you are hanging out with people who are lost, and are behaving a certain way that is unpleasing to our Father, how can you fit in and feel a connection with them and yet still please your Father in heaven. It doesn’t work! You will at that moment, decide to either be like the people you are with by acting and doing what they do, or to be like Christ.

I’m not telling you that it is all over for you if you fall into sin but sin should not become your life style. Old friends from our past will come around, and when they do we are to love and share with them the gospel and your testimony, but we are not to make them feel comfortable by changing back to are old ways.  You are a new creature, you are not the same person that used to be friends with them, and you will not act and behave the same way you used to.

The Answer is to have a functional relationship!

What is a functional relationship?  It is a relationship in which the person or group that you fellowship with point you to God, and encourage you to become closer to Him.

The Scripture says:

“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good Character’”                                       1 Corinthians 15:33

Do you want to be like Jesus? Do you want to be a person of good moral Character? If the answer to these questions is yes then do not be misled! You need good company!  Fellowship that will help you become who God has intended for you to be!  STRONG, MATURE BELIEVERS are the ones who you should fellowship with.  They are Godly people who will pray for you and believe with you.  They are believers who will not tempt you to sin or to fall back into your old habits.  These believers should be mature Christians not a new believer. We would never allow a baby to take care of another baby. That would be like the blind leading the blind.   There must be a responsible adult to care for the child’s needs.  I would not let anyone who wasn’t  at least 14 years old watch my kids, I will want someone who can care for them and teach them good and proper things.  Why should it be any different in the kingdom of God? It shouldn’t!  If you are a new believer, you need a responsible, mature Christian to mentor you.  This person should help you and be an example of Jesus Christ.

You can recognize a mature believer by their lifestyle.  They will be Christ-like and encourage you to be like Him too.  They will also be uplifting and not some one who tries to pull you down.  They will have a good attitude because they have the mind of Christ.  It is these things that you should and need to look for in a mature Christian.  Don’t let the Devil win, by putting yourself in a situation in which you know that you will be tempted and fall.

“Be Excellent in what is good, be innocent of evil.”                                                                           Romans 16:19

Be innocent of evil, and don’t fall into the trap of a dysfunctional relationship.  Be excellent in what is good and fellowship with mature believers.

c Joy Broussard

“I will never leave you nor forsake you”.

How great is that? He promises us He will never leave. So no matter how alone we feel, He is with us. He promised it to us and I know that even in my darkest hour, even when my whole world is falling apart, He is there. I can count on him, I can depend on him, and I can lean on him. He never leaves.  It is us that have to decide not to walk away from Him. Now this doesn’t mean that hard times won’t come, but it does mean that I don’t have to handle it by myself.

He also says He will never forsake you or never abandon you, which means He is sticking by your side no matter the circumstance. I also find comfort in that He won’t ignore us or forget about us. He even knows the number of hairs on my head.  The Bible tells us that he sees every sparrow that falls to the ground.  How much more does He care for us and love us. Nothing gets past him.  He knows every tire that needs to be replaced, He knows every bill that needs to be paid, He hears every bad report from the doctor, and He sees every leaky roof, every bad day, every argument, and every disappointment.  The Bible also says, “In the World you will have tribulation: But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) So just remember when it is raining or pouring in your life… God is with you, always and forever.