Today God has been showing me an interesting phenomenon that Christians like myself can get caught up in from time to time. It's called weighing the pros and cons of obeying.
Why do we do this? Well maybe because we are afraid of doing what God is telling us to do so we try to see in our minds what we have to gain or lose. I don't know if you're like me but when I start weighing the pros and cons of obeying I often skip over the pros because I really don't know what can result positively by obeying God. Now for the cons.
What if I'm made fun of?
I may lose friends
Look self righteous
Cause bitterness, anger, awkwardness, tension, etc.
What if I'm hated for stepping out?
The Bible is full of stories of men and women who were challenged to obey God.
Jonah wall called to preach against the very wicked city of Nineveh. He was afraid and fled to Tarnish on a boat. After being tossed overboard in a violent storm and spending 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of a fish and then thrown up, he obeyed and went to Nineveh. The King and his people turned from their evil ways. God had compassion and spared Nineveh of the threat of destruction. read full story
Then there's the story of Joshua and the Walls of Jericho.
The Lord called Joshua to take his army and march around the city walls of Jericho once a day for 6 days. On the seventh they were to march around the city walls 7 times with the priests blowing trumpets and the people making a loud noise. And the walls fell! read full story
When the Lord approached these 2 men with their assignments Jonah ran away whereas Joshua ran toward.
Can we go into the New Year like Joshua fearing nothing and looking to gain everything for God's Kingdom?
How much of ourselves would be left if we made it a priority to daily give our whole selves to God? What would our lives be like if we were truly committed to being content to doing the work He wants to accomplish through us and all this being done in His timing not ours?
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