It remains bizarre to me that followers of Jesus Christ at times segment their lives to suggest that there’s stuff that they do for God – the spiritual bit, the religious bit, the worship bit. Then there’s the bit that isn’t that which is referred to as the worldly bit, the secular bit and such like.
It is bizarre to me now, but it hasn’t always been bizarre. At some stage for a quite a while, I was more than used to the idea that God-time was something different to Me-time. Work-time certainly wasn’t God-time either.
Recently I came across this verse in the Italian Prophet – Malachi. (Not an original joke, I grant you, but one I still love all the same almost as though Mal was related to Lt. Columbo.)
Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. (Malachi 1:14)
The thinking that I can make a pledge to give God stuff, but in actuality give Him the rubbish, while I keep the best stuff for Me-time or whatever else time, is symptomatic of the schizophrenic discipleship lifestyle that is still prominent among believers. We say we’ll give God our best, but then other demands on our time, and our heart’s real desires begin to emerge.
For example when Jesus says we cannot serve two masters, He’s exposing the fact that we’re dishonouring, disrespecting and disregarding God for the real god in our lives. Unsurprisingly that can often be the pursuit of material gain – even masked as the desire for material comfort. A life consumed with spending so much time and effort at work that anything else comes a distant second, and it’s not work for God’s sake – it’s work for my sake, so I can have the money to maintain a comfortable lifestyle for my family and I. While I do that and suggest I’ll give God my best, what I end up doing is offering God something blemished.
I refuse to treat God as the great King He is. Rather He is treated as though He is a convenience and a means to me getting what I really want, whether that is material comfort, or health, or a salved conscience, or a puffed up ego.
God will not tolerate being treated as such.
Thank God then for His Holy Spirit that lives within which reminds us constantly that the Great King considers total life sacrifice to be reasonable form of service. Thank God He will bring us back to Himself and woo us back to the place where we will give the best, because we will give Him all of our lives, as He is worth that.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 
Hi Chris,
I’ve been working my way through Alan Hirsch’s ‘The Forgotten Ways’ in which he makes exactly this point and makes it very cogently. It is strange that we don’t get it – until you realise that it has to be revealed by the Spirit.
The obvious and natural way of thinking is that what is normal is, well, the norm. But it’s not! The truly normal is that everything in life belongs to the Lord and is focussed on him. It is all from him and of him and to him – everything.
Thanks for the reminder,
Chris – and yes, it’s a great name, isn’t it! 🙂
Funny you reading through The Forgotten Ways. I’m getting to the end of Untamed which the Hirschs put together. Still great Chris’ think alike I suppose