Nobody likes rules anyway!

One of the hardest things I often hear from young people when it comes to being Christians is the amount of sacrifice it takes to maintain the lifestyle.  They are absolutely right!  There are many sacrifices.  It's easy to quote a scripture in response, affirming that the sacrifices or sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the reward we would receive as a result.  But, let's just be honest.  It goes in one ear and out the other for some.  So allow me to make my point more clearly.

What I find interesting though, is that as young children growing up, we always worked harder and more diligently when we knew there was going to be a reward to follow our deeds.  This is even prevalent in our professional lives when we know we are going to be rewarded for hard work, performance, and conformity to company standards.  Somehow, when it comes to salvation, we flip the script.  The reward tends to look more favorable in the form of a bonus paycheck or a pay increase.  Somehow, it doesn't register to us the value of being chosen by God, being set apart for his use here on earth, and even more so gaining eternal glory.  Forgetting about eternity is easy if you don't keep the thought of how to get there in front of you everyday; reading the bible and practicing what you've read and understood.  It's just like you are constantly bombarded with emails and handouts about company policies and procedures that you must abide by as an employee.

The real truth, if we'll be honest here, is that some just don't "want" to do it.  And instead of admitting that, instead we come up with every excuse why it's not convenient for us to do it.  Just like people dish out excuses why they don't go to church (i.e. they take too many offerings, I don't like dressing up, it lasts too long, etc).  Well, you don't have to give an offering or pay your tithes.  But you have to be willing to suffer the penalty of choosing not to do it because it is a biblical standard.  Naturally, it's the same as if you don't want to go to work on time.  You don't have to, but you have to be willing to suffer the penalty of choosing not to get there on time.  You have to abide by the company dress code.  And you have to work your designated schedule, unless you are given clearance to leave early.

When you think about it, our entire lives are governed by certain rules and authorities.  Yet we find it such a hard task to submit a life to God that is pleasing and will benefit US in the long-run.  For anything worth having, you will sacrifice and suffer some sort of loss.  It's the way life is.  Don't fight the rules.  Especially the ones that are designed with your salvation in mind.  Learn to embrace them and allow them to work on your behalf.  And I understand...sometimes it's not an easy thing to outright conform to right away.  It takes time to wrap your mind around change.  God understands that.  That's what prayer is for.  He'll help you if just talk to him.  (What we don't realize is that there is freedom in obedience and bondage in disobedience.  The enemy will never reveal that mystery to you.  He wants you to think it's the other way around.  I learned this the hard way, but thank God I learned!)

You've sacrificed many things for many people, and to acquire many things.  What will you sacrifice for the will of God?  Think about that for this coming New Year.

L8r:
~faithful