WHO ARE YOU?????

Perhaps the better question is WHOSE are you? After many years as a believer, studying the Word, counseling men in prison…I finally have come to understand that obedience to God is a matter of will, not tears and emotion or even the desire to be faithful to Him. It is a matter of turning the will over to Him and meaning it, realizing He will never require something of us He is not prepared to do through us. The primary hang-up as I see it is that we seriously want to do our own thing, most of us do not want even God to tell us what to do! Consequently, our faith and trust level stay about the same. God’s desire is that both of those qualities grow in us. Philippians 2:12-13 says this, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you to will and do for His good pleasure.” That says tons!!!! But, what always hung me up was the beginning, “work out your own salvation.” Understanding came slowly as I studied and applied…it had nothing to do with our involvement in our salvation but everything to do with making our belonging to Christ real in our lives…that takes time, but primarily willingness to be obedient to what He teaches us. Oswald Chambers says this: “You have to work out with concentration and care what God works in; not WORK your own salvation, but work it out, while you base  resolutely in unshaken faith on the complete and perfect Redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposed will to God’s will, but one completely in line with the Father’s will and your life becomes one as natural as breathing.” And, the greatest part of all, God is in me working out the meshing of my will and His. Those who have that “obstinate” streak in them end up wasting a lot of time. Sooner or later, if one is faithful to learning all that’s possible about the Lord we serve, the dawn will break and understanding will come. Then we/you will want to kick yourself in the pants for wasting time. But…remember, God is in no hurry, He wants totally committed soldiers and ambassadors. He will wait. He is a good God, wonderful Father, who loves us enough to wait for us…to catch up! So…WHOSE are you? The choice is yours, use that will to make a decision now!