Committed?

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

D.L. Moody tells a story about having heard Pastor Henry Varley once say that, “The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.”

As Moody pondered the pastor’s words, He realized something. Pastor Varley did not say that God would use an intelligent person. He didn’t say an educated person, nor did he say a person who was ultimately gifted. What the wise pastor said was that the person with whom God will work with and for and through will be the person “who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him”.

This radically changed Moody’s ministry. God isn’t looking for people with amazing minds or hands or voices or computer skills. He’s not looking for those who are wearing the nicest suits or dresses at church. And He’s not looking for the people with the highest grade point averages at the local Christian College. What God is really looking for, are people who are simply sold out for Him!

Every Monday through Friday morning I get up to do this blog first thing. A lot of the days, all I have to do is sit at the computer and God writes it using my fingers. Other days, I sit at the computer and wish I was more in tune with God so He would write it! I’ve written email devotionals for many years as part of the ministry I felt God gave me to do, as a way of sharing the lessons He teaches me and to use whatever abilities He gave me for His service. There are times I wish God would take this job off of me but most of the time I humbly sit and wait for Him to direct me. Does that constitute ‘sold out for Him’? I don’t know.

On the days I wait and wait for that holy tap on the shoulder, I question myself, not Him, but myself. What am I doing to cut off the communication? I know He is faithful but I am sometimes more ‘hit & miss’ with my worship, prayer time and even attention span. I am guilty of letting ‘things of this world’ steal my time and focus. Thoughts of family issues are not bad, in and of themselves, but when they are allowed to direct my thoughts during my morning ‘God’ time I am less than focused on the service He called me to do. And should there even be a limit on 'God' time? Isn't it a lifestyle of service and worship rather than a slice of our day? Being “fully and wholly consecrated to Him” doesn’t require the lifestyle of silence of a monk but it is a commitment of focus with intent, one we need take seriously.

Half-hearted fellowship with the Lord leaves room for rationalization, so we rationalize by telling ourselves how busy we are. We feel better when we tell ourselves we’ll pray ‘better’ later when we have more time. We’ll actually study the scriptures we’ve read rather than skim over them…after all, we know them, we’ve read them before. Really?    

One of the great secrets to a successful walk with the Lord is understanding total commitment to Jesus. But being totally committed requires us to daily take up our cross — leave the past behind us — and despite all the obstacles the enemy tries to throw in our path, press forward for the Lord and His work! Let’s consecrate ourselves to the Lord again today.

Today, Truth in the Morning is two years old. Happy Birthday, Truth, and thank you, Lord!