If we are in love with God, we want to be with Him. To be with Him,we cannot replace Him. For many of us, this is a problem. What we think leads us to Him actually replaces Him and drives a wedge in the relationship. Think of the day of your salvation. You were saved through God’s grace and there was a fire inside. Many of us may still feel that fire. In the days and months after we tell everyone we know about what happened to us and we just burn inside and the coals get hotter. We get some education under our belt and we start to practice the disciplines of a normal Christian life. The fire is still hot but we know we need direction now. We latch on to a few disciplines like regular church attendance or morning devotions and maybe we clean up our language a little bit or dress up more often or tell different jokes or admit to watching different movies. And yet, somehow, in the speed and chaos of life, our relationship with God is replaced.
We exchange our devotion for devotions. We exchange a prayerful life for a prayer for dinner. We become more concerned with maintaining the appearance of Christian life than maintaining a deep and intimate relationship with our Savior. It happened to the Israelites in the form of a golden calf. It happens to us in the form of a golden pay check, a golden hobby, a golden sport or dress or car or toy or person. It seems ridiculous I know! But have you replaced God? Is there something in creation that draws your attention away from the creator? Would you be satisfied with an angel leading the way or would you cry out to God and say, “Lord, no! Don’t send me out there without you. Not even an angel can satisfy my desire for You!” Can you be caught seeking Him and serving Him with a reckless abandon for anything that might bring you closer even at the expense of what might look normal?
Salvation was not the finish line. Salvation is your starting line, your rebirth. It is the construction of your Tabernacle. It is the discovery of the Garden. Salvation was your introduction to the Presence of God. And yet, how many of us have received Salvation through Jesus Christ and never spent another minute with Him? Have you built the Tent of Meeting and never gone in to meet? Have you been found in the Garden and yet never walked with God?
Get your calendar. Make an appointment. Prioritize it. Elevate it. Mark it down. Don’t reschedule.
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This used to be called “backsliding.” Being a follower of Christ must include taking up the cross and denying self. People who are ridiculed, ostracized, and persecuted for their faith and still remain faithful are rare,. There are not many like that in countries like the USA, but if a time comes when that happens to us, how many Christians will be able to stay true to the One who died for them?! Wouldn’t it be wise for all of us to “get in shape” for the battle?
I have heard stories of the thriving churches of China asking for persecution in America so that we might experience a turning back. It’s unfortunate that we seem to need to be threatened or thrown into suffering before we seek the face of God. It’s this kind of behavior that causes me to wonder why God doesn’t allow more suffering. Temporal pain for eternal benefits. And yet, even greater than any of this is the assurance that when we do return, His arms will be open. Amazing grace.