On Monday we started tackling the question, "How do I get close to God?" I think there's something significant to be discovered that relates to this question in Jesus' interaction with the rich young man from Matthew 19.
Like I said on Monday, the rich young man was following all the rules. He had the Christian checklist down. If he lived in today's world he would have said, "I listen to Christian music. I read a few Bible verses everyday. I go to church. I drop some money in the offering plate each Sunday. I don't cuss. I try to be nice to most everybody. But I still feel something is missing? What am I missing with this God thing?"
He felt the weight of a great lack in his soul and he couldn't understand why.
I understand exactly where this man is.
I have felt that same lack.
I was a rule following, card carrying, Bible toting Christian who felt as hollow as a termite infested log. On the outside I appeared strong and perfect but on the inside the lack of connection between me and God was eating away at me.
I just kept going through the motions hoping things would click.
Then one day I felt this incredible tug at my soul to place myself in a position of intentional sacrifice. Give something up, not because life demanded it but rather offer something I desired as a sacrifice of praise to God.
That year it was television. I stopped watching TV for 2 years while God reigned in my incessant need to be entertained and distracted rather than deal with some issues that needed to be dealt with.
The next year it was my house. We put the house up for sale but it never sold. However, in the end, we realized God wanted us to release not our physical house but rather our definition of home. This was the year He called us to adopt our boys and redefine our family.
Last year it was sugar. Something completely permissible but not beneficial for me. I thought I would do this as a diet but it became something more than just physical. I quickly realized I would fail at this sacrifice if it was just for physical reasons so it became a spiritual journey of depending on God- really depending on God.
Each of these sacrifices were really hard for me to make.
I won't lie.
There were tears. There were justifications luring me to give up. There were times of wrestling with God. And there were moment by moment desperate prayers. Each time I wanted to give in and watch TV, or rip the sale sign out of my yard, or eat sugar I used it as a trigger to cry out to God.
You know what verse I found myself crying out a lot? "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
And do you know where this verse is neatly tucked in the Bible? You guessed it- right at the end of the story of Jesus talking to the rich young man in Matthew 19.
With man positioning yourself for intentional sacrifice is impossible. But with God sacrificing that which you crave or desire more than Him is not only possible, it's one of the richest ways to experience God.
And when we start experiencing God we'll stop wondering how to get close to him. We'll simply realize we are.
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess his name," Hebrews 13: 15.
Have you ever positioned yourself to experience God in this way? What is something He might be asking you to offer as a sacrifice of praise to Him?
Like I said on Monday, the rich young man was following all the rules. He had the Christian checklist down. If he lived in today's world he would have said, "I listen to Christian music. I read a few Bible verses everyday. I go to church. I drop some money in the offering plate each Sunday. I don't cuss. I try to be nice to most everybody. But I still feel something is missing? What am I missing with this God thing?"
He felt the weight of a great lack in his soul and he couldn't understand why.
I understand exactly where this man is.
I have felt that same lack.
I was a rule following, card carrying, Bible toting Christian who felt as hollow as a termite infested log. On the outside I appeared strong and perfect but on the inside the lack of connection between me and God was eating away at me.
I just kept going through the motions hoping things would click.
Then one day I felt this incredible tug at my soul to place myself in a position of intentional sacrifice. Give something up, not because life demanded it but rather offer something I desired as a sacrifice of praise to God.
That year it was television. I stopped watching TV for 2 years while God reigned in my incessant need to be entertained and distracted rather than deal with some issues that needed to be dealt with.
The next year it was my house. We put the house up for sale but it never sold. However, in the end, we realized God wanted us to release not our physical house but rather our definition of home. This was the year He called us to adopt our boys and redefine our family.
Last year it was sugar. Something completely permissible but not beneficial for me. I thought I would do this as a diet but it became something more than just physical. I quickly realized I would fail at this sacrifice if it was just for physical reasons so it became a spiritual journey of depending on God- really depending on God.
Each of these sacrifices were really hard for me to make.
I won't lie.
There were tears. There were justifications luring me to give up. There were times of wrestling with God. And there were moment by moment desperate prayers. Each time I wanted to give in and watch TV, or rip the sale sign out of my yard, or eat sugar I used it as a trigger to cry out to God.
You know what verse I found myself crying out a lot? "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
And do you know where this verse is neatly tucked in the Bible? You guessed it- right at the end of the story of Jesus talking to the rich young man in Matthew 19.
With man positioning yourself for intentional sacrifice is impossible. But with God sacrificing that which you crave or desire more than Him is not only possible, it's one of the richest ways to experience God.
And when we start experiencing God we'll stop wondering how to get close to him. We'll simply realize we are.
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess his name," Hebrews 13: 15.
Have you ever positioned yourself to experience God in this way? What is something He might be asking you to offer as a sacrifice of praise to Him?
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