The
Promise
I have done a few foolish things in my life ...
But, some years ago I did something seemingly more foolish
and more reckless than ever before ... something which had huge consequences.
I only went and promised God
that He would have all that there was of me!
And, just for good measure
I promised God that I would always
try to obey Him, regardless of the cost
The Price
And there was a cost ... Since
that day, God has stretched me emotionally, physically and theologically. Following God has impacted my timetable,
my social life and my priorities.
There have been times when God has asked more than I wanted to give; times
when I had nowhere turn except to God on my knees.
As Erwin McManus puts it,
For those of us who embrace the
cause of Christ, the cost to participate in the mission of God is nothing less
than everything we are and everything we have.[1]
The Privilege
Yesterday (the ordination and commissioning of the Friends
of Christ session) had a big impact on me. I was reminded in no uncertain terms that following Jesus is
not a lifestyle choice. We are not
doing Him a favour when we offer Him everything. We are chosen people, appointed to live lives that bear fruit. What a honour!
Someone once quipped that the benefits of following, and
living for Christ, are ‘out of this world’. But the privilege of serving God in the here
and now, the opportunity to sow the seeds of His Kingdom today - and to see
the fruit -, the joy of proclaiming resurrection to people and situations where
hope seems to have gone ... those benefits are most definitely ‘in this world’! And they are worth any level of
hardship.
The
Provision
In the years since I committed everything to God – and I say this without fear of contradiction
–I have under-delivered on my promises more often than I care to
remember. And on those occasions I
have experience a great sense of inadequacy. But at such times that the words of Jesus have rung in my
ears:
“You’re blessed when you’re at
the end of your tether.
With less of you there is more
of God.” [2]
The Promise
(Re-visited)
And so, with the reassurance that I am called by divine
appointment; with the certainty that God not only calls, but also equips and sustains...
I look to the future as I head off to Forestdale (11 miles down the road from
WBC) with Alison and our two daughters.
Someone once said that “the tragedy of our time is that
such an overwhelming number of us who declare Jesus as Lord have become ... civilized.”[3]
My prayer is that I will never settle for a civilized
faith, for playing at soldiers.
Rather, I want to stand and fight for the King and His Kingdom. And what better place to do that than in an
Army as together we fight the Great Salvation War.
And so this morning, I once
again make the promise;
I count the cost; I accept the
privilege of God’s calling; and I embrace a life of covenant commitment.
To conclude I share the words of General John Gowans:
Committed to fight and committed
to follow,
I choose to be faithful, Lord
Jesus, to you.
Committed to go where you want
me to go,
And do what you want me to do.
Your servant and yet so
incredibly free,
Testimony –2nd year Cadet Michael Hutchings
WBC Farewell Sunday – 08/07/2012
Fabulous Glad GBY & thanks for sharing - Graham Benson
ReplyDeleteTuesday at 10:45pm ·
powerful, thought provoking stuff, thanks glad
ReplyDeleteTuesday at 10:47pm · Moira Sinclair
That is a wonderful and positive testimony. May God use him and his wife in their new appointment. God Bless. Margaret Martin
ReplyDelete