As I was seeking God on what He wanted me to write about today, He brought me back to something my kids used to do when they were little. And as I remembered this I also remembered that it wasn't just my kids that did this....it's a lot of kids.
Do you remember as a kid not wanting to take naps? Or if you have children, them not wanting to take a nap? Or how about the reaction you would get when you would say those dreaded words to them at the end of the night, "it's time for bed". Oh man, sometimes you might as well just delivered the worst news ever to them if you said the words "nap" or "bedtime". And why was this? Was it because kids hate the idea of sleeping or resting? Not really. In fact, I remember specifically asking one of my children one time "what is it you hate about taking a nap or going to bed", and their answer to me was one I didn't expect. They said, "I hate what I'm missing when I'm asleep and you guys are awake". Hmmm, I had never thought about this before. He said "sometimes I can hear you guys still up doing stuff and it sounds fun, but I missing out on it"....And this is exactly what God reminded me of today as I was asking Him what I was to write about. We can't be afraid of what we are missing out on when we step out of the world and closer to God.
The other day when some of us were praying with someone in our deliverance ministry I had told this person we were praying with "be careful not to flirt with temptation". The topic that brought this up was God saying in Revelation 3, "...because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth". And we were discussing how tempting it is to keep one foot in the world and one foot with God. This is not a place of hot or cold, and will cause "lukewarm" Christians that are being mentioned in this verse. Most of the time when someone lives this life it is not because they "want" to sin, or keep sin in their life. But instead it is because, just like my child, they are still afraid what they will miss out on if they truly walk away from the ways of the world. Flirting with sin, or flirting with temptation, will never get you to a good place with God. It is like saying to Him, "I know You have a lot to offer me, but it still doesn't look quite as attractive as what the world offers". And sadly enough that is because you are still buying into the lies of the enemy. What the world has to offer you will eventually end up getting you hurt if you continue to flirt with it. It is not about what you are missing out on when you choose to step out of the world's ways, but about all that you gain with God. It is not about living a restricted life, but one of freedom. It is not about rules, but about love. God knows the world is full of pain, and that is why He desires for you to quit walking that middle ground and draw close to Him.
It's not often the I reference The Message translation of scripture, but sometimes it just says it in a way that hits you right in the face. So today I want to us it to show you what is said in 2 Timothy 2:20-22. It says "In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing. Run away from infantile indulgence. Run after mature righteousness—faith, love, peace—joining those who are in honest and serious prayer before God."
Today I am calling people to stop worrying about what you will miss out on if you truly step away from the middle ground, and instead focus on all that God can do for and with you when you draw closer to Him. It is not the rest or the sleep that a child hates, but it's the idea of stepping away from all the things they can hear that "sound fun" during their time of rest. But every good parent knows that the rest is what they need. God is our good parent, and He calls us away from stuff because He knows it is what we need. Don't accept things in your life simply because the rest of the world does, but instead realize, just like it says in The Message, some container are used to serve fine meals and other to take out the garbage. Don't let the world tell you what kind of container you are, let God show you!
God, thank You for the warnings that You present to us in Your Word. Help us to not overlook them. Holy Spirit guide people away from the things they have been hanging on to and show them it's not about what they will be missing when they fully come to you, but it's about ALL that they gain. Create in us hearts that love what you love and hate what you hate to keep us in full alignment with Your will for us. In Jesus name, Amen
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