SECURITY BLANKET SURRENDER



William Barclay tells a great story about the 18th century poet, Samuel Johnson. Dr. Johnson was being shown around a lavish castle estate, and he turned to those with him and said, "These are things that make it difficult to die." Have you ever felt that way? "I love this car so much, I don't ever want to lose it. I want to take it to heaven with me. I want to see what the thing does on streets of gold." Possessions and the desire for more have a way of gripping your soul and distorting your values, even to the point where you think that owning a few toys, or getting a piece of paper in the mail each month with enough numbers on it, is better than spending eternity with Jesus.

The lure of money and the desire for more also has a way of giving you a false sense of security. We're often tempted to think, "If I only had a sizable and steady stream of cash coming in, I would be so happy. All my problems would be solved and all my worries would disappear. Now I can serve God.” I don't begrudge anyone a nice house or a nice car, or a nice income, but you must take care that your possessions don't begin to own you, and that you don't become driven by a never-ending lust for more. This is why Jesus said, "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)

When people read the story of the Rich Young Ruler, they often ask, "Does this mean that God expects all of us to sell everything and become poor? Short answer: No. We don't see this requirement of anyone else in scripture. So why did Jesus tell this rich young man that he must sell everything that he has and give it all away? Jesus knew that there was one thing that stood in the way of this man living a life fully devoted to God. It wasn't the fact that he had wealth. It was the attachment to his security blanket. This rich young man didn't mind being a good member of the synagogue, he didn't mind giving an appropriate nod to God every week, he didn't even mind living according to certain moral principles — but where he drew the line was in letting go of what really matters: the comfort and security that he was convinced only money could buy.

 Many people approach Christianity with this mindset: What's the minimum that I must do in order to be saved? Or to put it another way: How much sin can I commit and still get to heaven?  To many Christians are trying to live in that never-never land of partial discipleship, and they say, "I know that I need to be fully devoted to God, sold out and radical, but I'm afraid to try. I know I'll fail."

Your future is not determined by your greatness, or your weakness. It’s determined by God’s greatness. It’s not determined by what you can’t do, or what you can’t let go of. It’s determined by Christ’s power to change you when you surrender your security blanket to him. It’s just a matter of saying in your heart, “I surrender all.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 80-20 Rule

In 1906, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto created a mathematical formula to describe the unequal distribution of wealth in his country, observing that twenty percent of the people owned eighty percent of the wealth. The Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.   Although this rule was first applied in Italy when Pareto was looking at the dispersal of wealth, it has since become a rule of thumb for many businesses.   It has been said that 20% of your workforce does 80% of the work, or 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.   I think this law comes into play in our lives as well.   Life is 20% what happens to you and 80% what you make of it. There are tons of stories about people who come out of difficult situations — gang life, in and out of jail, drug addiction, broken families, abuse – yet still seem to rise to the top.   And of course, there are many stories of those who have been given everything they would n
Read more

FREEDOM’S PRICE

In 1781, the Fourth of July was named a national holiday and today fireworks, parades and picnics still mark this celebration. Because on July 4, 1776 The Declaration of Independence proclaimed the thirteen colonies free from British rule. What proceeded and followed this declaration were the historic battles still taught in every elementary school. For six years the colonies shook with the Battles of Concord and Lexington, Bunker Hill and Saratoga. The war finally ended at Valley Forge where British General Cornwallis surrendered to what would be the United States’ first president, George Washington. Two years later the British and the Americans signed a peace treaty in France. Freedom does not come without a price. Through the Revolutionary War our nation’s freedom was paid for by the blood and sacrifice of the men and women who fought for their dream of what would become the United States. The battles were not easy, and the years took their toll on our young nation. In t
Read more

WALK THE TALK

As far as your spiritual life is concerned religious talk is not good enough. The apostle John makes this clear in his little epistle 1 John 2:4-6. If someone claims, “I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. John is not talking about sinless perfection here but rather that a Christ-follower is to relate to others the way Jesus did. In other words we have to walk the walk like Jesus. Walking as Jesus walked begins with loving other people. Christ-followers have tried to make Christianity more difficult than it really is. We’ve make it about church membership, or a particular theological persuasion, or saying the right words during baptism, or what version of the Bible is the only one to be used. The apostle is clear. W
Read more