"Peter said to him,
'We have left everything to follow you!'
'I tell you the truth,' Jesus replied,
'no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother
or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
will fail to receive a hundred times
as much in this present age
(homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--
and with them, persecutions)
and in the age to come, eternal life.'"
Mark 10:28-30
In order to reap, a gardener must sow. And before she can sow, something must die. Let me explain:
I was talking to a friend of mine about her wonderful garden and the amazing produce she is enjoying. I asked her to share her secret and she happily exclaimed, "Manure! It's all about the manure!" She raises horses and chickens as well, and liberally uses their old, fermented droppings to improve the soil before planting. It must work because she brings in a bountiful harvest!
I was thinking about manure, and without getting too graphic, I thought about how the horse eats the grass which is utilized by the body for fuel and sustenance and then the wasted is excreted. Before the soil can benefit from the fertilizer, the grass must be bit off by the grazing horse, separating it from it's life-giving roots as it enters the digestive system where it is ground into a pulp and digested into a more basic element that can be readily utilized.
In a similar way, there are many things that must die in my life before I will be ready to be used by God. There are practices, beliefs, fears, unforgiveness, hurt; and the list could go on. God asks me to give up things that are getting in the way of my relationship with Him. When I obey, I am blessed. When I tarry, I hurt the heart of God. Disobedience is a form of doubt, and distrust of my Father injures my relationship with Him.
There is no need to fear letting go. Jesus has promised that my sacrifice will bring a bountiful harvest, just like the the death of the grass brought life-giving nutrients to my friend's garden. The question is: Am I willing to receive all that God is waiting to give me?
Ready
He'd been laying there so many years that he lost track of time. This disease had plagued him for nearly 40 years, leaving him helpless to provide for himself. He felt all alone in the world as he hoped beyond reason that this would be the day that he'd get to the therapeutic pool first, guaranteeing him a supernatural healing. Once the angels stirred the waters, the curing powers would be released and all he must do is immerse himself within their cool depths. This was his only hope.
When Jesus encountered this man, He asked him one question: "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:1-8) Well, duh! But the answer the man gave revealed his heart. He was putting all his eggs in the healing pool basket, which was a long shot at best. Perhaps he was afraid to be whole. Maybe he felt his identity was wrapped up in his infirmity. It could be that he wasn't ready to receive what Jesus had to give him, that he was afraid to embrace the man God had created him to be.
I can relate! God puts so many things on my heart to do, but then the doubt creeps in. But I can't speak in front of a group, I'm not that kind of person. But I don't know enough to lead a Bible study. But I'm not a good enough conversationalist to witness to an unbeliever. But. . .but. . .but.
My doubt is revealing my disbelief. I am in essence telling God that He is not big enough to work through me, I am too much for Him to handle, He's not powerful enough to overcome my weaknesses.
Moses suffered from this same problem. God gave him a mission: Go to Pharaoh and tell him to, "Let my people go!" Moses thought of every excuse in the book; what if I'm not leadership material? What if the Israelites don't listen to me? What if they don't believe me? What if I can't speak well? What if, what if, what if!
God reassured him each time, giving him signs to show and words to say, but finally Moses got to the end of his questions with, "Can't you send somebody else?" (Exodus 3:10-4:16) Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses.
I do not want to be on the receiving end of God's fury! Instead, it is my desire to immediately obey without reservation, saying to myself, okay, I know I'm not up to this task, but God definitely is! I have nothing to fear with Him backing me up! (Isaiah 41:10)
When God calls me to let go of something and follow Him toward a powerful blessing, can I tell Him I'm ready to receive it?
Perspective
He was incredibly blessed. God had given him a loving family, riches beyond his wildest dreams, and a peaceful life. He couldn't imagine life getting any better. Then came the test. In one day, he lost it all, with his health to falter soon after. How did Job respond? "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21)
If I am going to be able to receive the mission God has for me and the subsequent blessings that may follow, it is important that I keep it all in perspective. While no one wants to live in poverty, either spiritually or physically, it is entirely up to God whether or not I do. I can run after riches, friendships, and important ministries, or I can focus on my relationship with God and let Him decide what He does or does not give. (Matthew 6:33)
Remembering that God is sovereign will help me to keep it all in perspective. As 19th Century American Evangelist Dwight L Moody said, "The sweetest lesson I have learned in God's school is to let the Lord choose for me."
Once I'm ready to receive all that God wants to give me, will I be able to keep it in perspective, remembering that it's His to give and His to take away?
Glory
I have to admit, I love getting recognition for a job well done. I don't readily admit this to others, but in my heart, I enjoy a good pat on the back every once in awhile.
In fact, I was anticipating just such an acknowledgment when my family and I got ready to move away from a Sunday school program where I had taught for four years. Much to my surprise and disappointment, my last day to teach came and went without so much as a word of thanks from anyone. I quietly exited the building that morning, humbled beyond recognition. I said that I was serving for the glory of God, but when it came down to it, I wanted some of the glory as well.
When God calls me to a job, giving me a list of distractions to purge from my life, am I willing to quietly accept all He's doing, or does part of me think I'm a little better for my sacrifices? In other words, is part of my motivation for obeying God so that my character will improve, my reputation will rise or my ministry will broaden?
Everything I do is to be for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31): to point others to Him as the source of all good things (James 1:17), to give Him the praise and the honor (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and to promote His will instead of my own (Matthew 6:10).
Now that I'm working in God's kingdom, it is important that my heart only desires the glory to go to God.
My motivation for surrendering my all to Christ can't be that I'll receive the promised hundredfold in return. Instead, it is to be out of a pure desire to please my Father. As I let go, I'll need to learn to be ready to receive, to keep all His blessings in perspective, and to do everything with God's honor and magnificence as the goal. It is then that I'll be set free to follow Him wholeheartedly. (John 8:32)
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will keep my own agenda out of the picture and focus solely on God's will.
How do I take His blessings for granted, thinking I earned them or deserve them in some way?
When am I working for my own glory instead of God's?
