School was over for the day, and 14 year old Sarah couldn't wait to get home. When she arrived at home she came bursting into the kitchen, and exclaimed, “Mom, I'm in love! I tingle whenever I'm near him, and I have butterflies in my stomach when he talks to me.” Sarah’s mother quietly listened as her daughter bubbled over about the wonders of being in love. To listen to Sarah you would think that she had met the one she would marry but her mother wasn't unduly alarmed. She expected that before long this life long romance would end.... and in a few days it did. You see Sarah’s mom knew that there's much more to true love than a tingling sensation and butterflies in the stomach.
In a similar way, the signs of a genuine love for God must be much more than the good feelings gained from enthusiastic singing and glowing testimonies in public. In other words this genuine love is more than what appears on the surface or what we say in order to be “politically correct” in certain settings. Now all these things may appear to be very spiritual but the genuine love that God desires is one that takes a commitment that involves everyday sacrifice and dedication.
Recently I read about a woman who exuberantly described how much she enjoyed her church. During Bible classes and in casual conversation you heard about how much she loved Jesus. However when you dug a little deeper you discovered some disturbing things regarding her everyday life. For example, she refused to speak to her mother in law because of something that had occurred years earlier. Further when asked about her own family you discovered how she fought with her sisters. And it didn’t take long to discover that she was someone that tried to dominate her husband and others as well. The point that was being missed by her and equally by many others who profess to be Christians, is that if you can't show your devotion to God by extending love and grace to others all the time, the happiness and devotion you feel at church means nothing.
Are you a Christian? Are sure you are disciple of Jesus? If your answer is yes then don’t tell me your theology; tell me what you have sacrificed to be a person of integrity. Don’t tell me your views about the Holy Spirit; tell me how you have remained loyal to the belief that we have an Abba Father that is very fond of us when life has turned against you or when things got rough. Don’t tell me your views about baptism; tell me how much you demonstrate you love your wife in how you treat her in public and what you are modeling to your kids or grandkids. Don’t tell me about your position regarding church music; tell me about the song of grace you extend. Don’t tell me about your church affiliation; tell me about changes made or personal preferences given up in order that others might experience Abba Father in tangible ways.
Of course, our beliefs are important. But as the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Your true beliefs are seen in holy living, Spirit empowered faithfulness, and the willingness to sacrifice and even suffer for the benefit of others. You see God desires, and non-believers are looking for the proof of our faith in daily demonstration rather than mere words. For centuries God and unbelievers have heard the words. Now, our words are important, and are needed but they are both unbelievable and ineffective unless they come from lives that example a complete commitment to God. This is the sacrificial living that models true discipleship that God desires and the world seeks.
It was Nathan C. Schaefer that once said, “At the close of life, the question will not be, ‘How much have you gotten?’ but ‘How much have you given?’ Not ‘How much have you won?’ but ‘How much have you done?’ Not ‘How much have you saved?’ but ‘How much have you sacrificed?’ It will be ‘How much have you loved and served,’ not ‘How much were you honored?’”
How much have you modeled, sacrificed and given so that you and others would really know Him and not just religion?
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