Saying Yes To God
Part of receiving an invitation is the response. When God provides the way for us to encounter him and learn from him, how will we respond?
I am struck today with the importance of saying yes to the Lord. He is calling, but our power of free will means that we can also ignore or reject his offer.
Saying yes is not straightforward. We have been talking about the importance of trusting God and being open with him. We know that God is spirit, so faith is a fundamental element in our journey with God.
When God calls to us, what will we say?
I am convinced that God does not condemn us for our ignorance. He does not expect us to trust him beyond what is reasonable. Of course, that does not mean we know better than God what we are capable of doing. Instead, I think he builds our faith and trust over time with his unchanging character expressed in works.
This morning I am thinking about all the various people that God called in the scriptures. Peter, James, and John all responded to Jesus with a simple yes. Likewise, when Jesus called Levi, he walked away from his tax booth then and there. Mary received Jesus when delivered her from her demons. Many others sought God as God sought them and responded with a yes.
There was one person that we know had an opportunity to receive Jesus and missed it. We know him as the rich young ruler. He had a face-to-face encounter with Jesus but was unable to follow because he could not sell his possessions.
It occurs to me today that our hesitancy to follow Christ comes from our dependency on other things. Whether that is the material possessions we have, the sin we enjoy participating in, or the comforts we would rather retain, our rejection of Christ comes from something we think is more important.
To be ready to say yes when Jesus calls means that we need to be prepared to surrender. There is not one person who followed Jesus that didn’t do so at a personal cost. Then again, there is not one follower who didn’t gain more in surrender than they could have imagined.
How will you respond to Jesus today?
For further reading: Matthew 19:16-30
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