Abandon

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Since coming back to America, I have been blessed to spend ample time with old friends, meet some new ones and continue walking with like-minded people. It has been the trip of a lifetime indeed. Some things I have expected to happen, have not happened, Some things I never expected to happen, have happened! I have had the opportunity to talk to many people and have stimulating and encouraging conversations with them. 

I have struggled back and forth whether or not to write this blog. I have gone back and forth in the wisdom and necessity of it. I have feared the response that it might get, and I have feared the possible backlash of it. I have a question though. I have been pondering this question for days now. 

Since I have been back I have had countless people come to me and encourage me very kindly in how I am such a good example of how one should follow Christ. I have been approached and virtually asked to "motivate" others to get up and move to a foreign country for service. I have been almost held as a hero for being willing to pick up and move to a foreign country "in just two weeks". I have greatly appreciated the encouragement and am sure that each party who has offered such kind words has offered them out of the purest of hearts with pure intentions, but I consistently come back to this question.

When did being a Christian become not enough?

There are many labels that we give to people. Especially in the Christian world, we give groups of people names, ways to categorize their genuineness or willingness to serve with abandon. We categorize into groups of spirituality and "sold-out-ness".  We hero those who actually get up the courage to do something "scary" or "bold". We look at them and say, "If only I could be like them and serve like that." We hero those who experience oppression for their beliefs and say, "I don't know if I would stand so firm if I were faced with that kind of opposition!" We use people as our example to "motivate" others to serve more. The problem with this system is that we base the whole thing on people rather than the One who saves.

If we do not categorize ourselves in one of the "sold- out" kind of categories, we allow ourselves to slip slowly into a comfortable, and I would dare to say even apathetic lifestyle. We excuse this apathy by saying, "God didn't place that kind of burden on my heart" or "Well, that's just not me, or my kind of thing." and "Well, I can't do that because of the school loans...or the kids...or my apartment...or my job...or that's not my skill set."Sometimes we even say, "You don't know me, I don't trust myself enough to take that risk. Knowing me I'd fall flat on my face and ruin my testimony and the image of Christ!" We make so many excuses as to why we cannot move forward to further the kingdom and serve our King.

Not only do we make excuses though, but we then herald those who have taken a step of faith. It somehow makes us feel better about our lack of service because we know that someone somewhere is working hard for the King. Someone is being faithful. So we become content to fall into the routine of church, work, pray over meals, teach the kids to be moral, tithe, and live the comfortable life...but not too comfortable.

Now, please understand me. I am not saying that any of those things are bad in and of themselves. I certainly do not condemn them as sins. Please, please do not take me out of context here. My prayer is that we would carefully discern our own limitations that we place on ourselves from His calling on our lives. I will be the first to say that He calls each of us to many different areas of service. Personally, I greatly respect those He calls into the business world. Wow, what a battlefield to face every day! (This is one area I look at and think, "Now I could never do that!", though I know that if He placed that calling on my life, He would most certainly equip!) Some are called to stay at home and fight on the neighborhood field, inviting the kids and families to take part in life with Jesus. Some are called to education, teaching others His way of living and learning. Some are called to give food to the poor and needy, and some are called to go and share His story.

But wait. Aren't the last two calls given to every person who calls himself a Christian? I have been impressed over the last two months that the only limitations we have as Christ followers are ourselves. In limiting ourselves we display a sickening lack of trust in Him because we dare to defy His sovereign power in holding out our hands and saying, "Nope, You can't fix this, Jesus. I am too broken, stubborn, proud, useless, etc for you to do anything with." We deny the power of the cross and we negate His power to save us from whatever we view as un-lovable.

My purpose in writing this blog tonight, is not to rebuke anyone or chastise anyone. My deepest desire is that we, as Christ followers would truly follow Him. That we stop making excuses as to what we can and cannot do for the kingdom and that we be found faithful about His work.

Matthew 24:46-51 says,

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Let us  then be found faithful, that we not be hypocrites. That we not be weary in well doing and that we faint not. But that we press on towards the Prize, which is Jesus Christ our Lord, knowing that no matter what we have given, it was never too much. That we live with abandon, offering each of our lives as a broken sacrifice to the One who was broken for each of us.