If I am, am I willing to follow where He would lead me be it continuing as I am or moving, doing what I am doing or something different, be it with all of my life or just a part of it?

If I am genuine in my desire to be a disciple, a servant even then I give up my right to make those decisions, instead it is His will not mine… as Jesus prayed on the cross, and for Jesus that meant pain and suffering and even separation. If He did that then what right do I have to say no when a servant, even a slave has no rights, only to do what the Master says. I know we are also sons of the Living God but then so was Jesus and He held nothing back.

I wonder if part of our problem is that we see what we have as ours, our families, homes, cars, jobs, money, free time, lives… rather than God’s. In the early Church the attitude was to share everything and to help those in need and Godly men were appointed to oversee this including Stephen who was then stoned to death. Is what I have mine or am I just the steward, holding lightly to it so it can be used as the Master says?

We have been fed a diet of God is so good to us and will heal us and give us every good thing that we need and somewhere down the way lost the fact that good things included discipline, for Jesus and many others through the ages it has meant torture and death, good for them? well they got to go to Heaven, is there anything better? We can see our lives down here as something that is all important rather than just a transient moment in time compared to the time we will spend in Heaven. It is such a short time here on earth we need to make the best use of it and if that means pain and suffering to refine us then surely that is for our good.

I pray that I will truly submit to God as my Lord and Master, piece my ear as the image of old when the freed slave chose to continue to serve their master put their head to a door post and a hole was made in their ear by driving a nail or something through it. Painful temporarily and a lasting mark showing that it was not their will they served but the will of their Master. As it says in the prayer Jesus taught, ‘Your will be done… ‘ not mine and if that means I suffer here on earth now then so be it as it will be for my good, if it means I am blessed here on earth so be it as it will be for my good but I should treat each the same and seek to serve God with all I am and all I have in the hopes that on the day of judgement I will hear the Lord say … good and faithful servant.. when I stand before Him… that is my desire.

hope you don’t mind me rambling on like this here, helps me think things through and it was your posting that provoked this so I blame you… lol

May God our father protect you and bless you greatly.

Andy

Yes…follow Jesus Christ and obey the voice and conviction of the Holy Spirit not man…keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of faith and run the race marked out before us and do not look left and right and say like Peter…what about that man…Jesus wil respond the same:

Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” John 21:22

Thank you for this succint, thought provoking post…a few Scriptures that came to remembrance as I read are:

Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22

“But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. Matthew 12:7

AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:33

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13)

“But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”
Mark 10:31