Follow Me

This weekend I went to a leadership conference. It was a great time of worship, prayer and teaching. However, by far, the one phrase that impacted and challenged me the most. I don't know who said it, but it doesn't matter because it came straight from heaven.

"The battle against comfort is not comfortable."

I am paraphrasing, but the idea remains. The devil wants us to be comfortable, because when we are comfortable we are tempted to stay that way when a calling from God comes. It is a lot harder to wake up when the bed is warm and soft after a great, long sleep; a hard cold bed after a horrible night is never hard to leave. We like our friends. We like our church. We like the air conditioning. We like Sunday lunch with the family. We like our circles, but we can never let the blessings become chains.

Mark 8:34-35

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Ladies and gentlemen, we must loose our life, deny ourselves, to gain it, and to carry our cross.

Furthermore, so many times things in our life creep in any take more than we originally thought they would. I have heard many brothers and sisters not come to church, or not go evangelizing, or not serve in a ministry because they have a monstrous beast eating their time up(Also commonly known as a hobby). Yes, that is right. Your soccer team, drama practice, band practice, swimming team, football game, friends sleep-over or hanging out can keep you from serving God with your 100%. Don't let it get to that point.

We all say it in worship. We all pray it. We all want to follow Jesus! With all our heart, mind and strength. But how can we follow Jesus if our heart is infatuated with someone else? How can we follow Jesus if our thoughts are full of useless information. How can we follow God if at the end of the week we are too tiered from school and all other activities that do not directly contribute to the kingdom of God?

Mark 10:21

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

The rich man loved his money! He loved his big house, his corvette, his long vacations in North Carolina, his air conditioning. He couldn't leave it for Jesus. Most of those that did follow Jesus were poor, promiscuous, or rejected. There was nothing comfortable about that lifestyle. Do not let your comforts and lack of commitment eat you up, throw you up, and leave you alone with regrets and a wasted life in front of the gates of heaven.

Ouch! That hurts! That guy/girl you keep talking/texting to, even thought you know you shouldn't. That music you know is bad for you, but it sounds so cool(Sounds like a stupid excuse when you actually write it down and compare it to Jesus, right?). That friend that keeps tempting you to go back to your old ways. It will all eat you up; and unless you decide to leave it, sell it, or give it away, you will not be able to follow Jesus like He wants you to.

I have a story.

I know a pastor. However, before he became a pastor he LOVED soccer! I mean he adored it. He knew all the names of all the teams and players in all the European soccer clubs. He watched all the games! He was even part of a soccer team. There was just one problem, the games and touring dates were always on Sundays. He was a Christian at that time, and Sunday was always God's day. He quit the team, and stopped watching so many soccer games and began to serve God more fervently. Then some time later, this man became a pastor. It know that that the decision to stop playing soccer was the single choice that eventually lead this man to be used by God in a totally consuming way.

Do something for God! It may not be starting a church, being an evangelist, or being a missionary right now, but it can be cutting your desires off from the cross you carry. Do not let your comforts and lack of commitment eat you up, throw you up, and leave you alone with regrets and a wasted life in front of the gates of heaven.

John 10:27

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

If you are His sheep, hear His voice, know Him, and follow Him.

I would love to hear you thoughts!

-Jerry