The Risk Of Obeying God
Having trouble obeying God lately? It might help to talk to a mentor privately and confidentially online about it.
Please open your Bible and read Luke 5:1-11
As Christians, we can waste our lives standing on faith’s shoreline, never venturing beyond ankle – deep water. There we have little need for God; after all, we are safe on the beach, far from the danger of high waves and storms. But believers who release themselves into deeper waters of obedience need the Lord desperately.
By casting oneself farther offshore, the Christian relinquishes control of his life. No longer can he pretend to determine his own fate, whether regarding career choice, financial decisions, or church involvement. God is the captain of the boat, whereas the believer is the obedient first mate. Will storms come? Yes. Will the Captain at times make difficult requests? Yes. Will the first mate on occasion feel scared? Yes. But the surrendered believer experiences the Lord more intimately than someone on shore ever can. He receives a boatload of God’s goodness and blessing.
Most churchgoers easily claim, “I’ve yielded my life to Christ.” To actually live out the words is more difficult. We want to cling to a measure of control in case God does not work events to our satisfaction. Too many Christians are content merely to dip their toes into faith because they fear life might not turn out according to their plan. But how much greater is the believer’s loss if life does not turn out according to God’s plan? He can do much more with a surrendered existence than a sheltered one. The Christian life becomes exciting when we wade into water so deep that our feet no longer touch the bottom. Then we must stand on God’s promises.
Question: Would you describe your Christian life lately as being “exciting”?
About this Author: Charles Stanley
Tags: Charles Stanley, Devotional, God, Men, Obedience, promises, spiritual walk, storms, yielding
3 Responses to “The Risk Of Obeying God”
Leave a Reply
Start a Conversation
Media
Connecting Through Technology
Do you use technology to stay in touch with family and friends?
>Watch
I continue to be constantly amazed how much deeper the Christian life can lead me. I most definitely am standing on God’s promises. He gave me a life I thought only others could have. I am co-teaching Children’s Church, putting together the program for Sundays, quilting for the church, in-charge of crafts, getting ready to attend our Emmaus Walk in 2 weeks, attending an accountability class on Tuesday nites, also getting ready for another Walk in August, and more and loving every minute of it! It’s hard to write down all that God has given me. Dear Lord, I thank you for keeping your promises with me and giving me a life I couldn’t even imagine yet now I am living it on a daily basis. You have filled me with peace and love and taught me how to go with the flow. I could not live this life without you. Please continue to soften my edges. In Jesus precious name I pray. Amen.
Here is my question: I am currently in a relationship with someone. His life path is such that he continues to say he ‘needs to obey’ and that ‘God has spoken to him’ and that he has been ‘promised monetary wealth’ by the end of the year IF he obeys. The problem here is that I believe that I was ‘put into his life’ for the purpose of helping him attain that. We had been friends for well over 1.5 years, and during that time a relationship never developed between us until the last 2 months. It seems that we are ‘at odds’ about what God’s intended plan is. My belief is that we ‘recognized’ each other, and that he is in need of my personal strengths to succeed in his God given gifts, and I am in need of his personal strengths. The biggest problem here, that I can see, is that he BELIEVES God’s gifts are intended only as he started out. He DOES not believe that God “JUST MIGHT HAVE” put me front and forward in his life to be part of the fulfillment. How does one resolve two apparent “gifts”. I’ve just read the comment about continuing to soften edges and yet encourage him to see me with ‘new eyes’? Floundering here…….
Cynthia, I understand your floundering. I am by no means an expert of the subject, but I personally don’t believe God presents us with “IF” situations. I believe that when we open ourselves fully to God many, many wonderful things happen to us – some of which we can not even imagine. I believe you are a gift. If there is more, there is only wait and see. Try to find it in your heart to understand. Pray for him daily as I will be praying that you both find a solution in the days to come. Father God, bless Cynthia and help her to find the answer in her heart that best fits this situation. Only You know the truth Lord. Comfort her Lord with your wisdom. In Jesus precious name, Amen.