Have you drifted?
Remember when you first came to know the Lord? Reflect on that for a moment. Those were amazing days. Everything seemed new. You looked at things differently. There were things that you used to love that you soon had no time for. You loved being in the presence of those who loved the Lord. Your conversation was about Him, and you hungered to know more.
Time passes, and the cares of the world pile on us. We pray and we believe, but soon our time and our thoughts are taken up by all the noise. We find our church family less important, and we reason that we can be just as spiritual staying at home. The church is full of hypocrites anyway. Gradually the old behavior returns. Things we forsook are back in full swing. We spend our time in the environment that we once walked away from. We convince ourselves that loving Jesus isn’t legalistic, and who is to judge anyway? In fact, our favorite saying is, “Who are we to judge?”
Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick: who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9) We tell one another to follow our heart, but is that really the best advice? I have done that many times in my life, and sadly, I have many regrets. Jesus said, “Follow me…” ( Matt 4:19) That is another path entirely. There are many journeys in this life, but only one path that leads to eternal life. Veer off that path, and you soon see where it leads. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” ( Jn 14:6)
We are living in an age of self gratification. I have seen Christians forsake many truths and become totally consumed by self. We make excuses for our behavior by making sure that everyone knows that God is a God of grace. Yes, He is! Do we trample His grace by acting like the world around us? People should sense something wonderfully different about us. We aren’t self righteous religious snobs, but we are light. The world needs light!
Take a look at your photos on Facebook, your Instagram posts, and your tweets? What do they say about who you are? I believe God is crying out to us, “ Danger! Return to me!” We all have been on rafts on the lake or ocean and drifted far from where we were on shore. We can’t believe we drifted that far in such a short time. I have to ask myself daily, “Where are you?” I know that if I allow myself to accept the things this world has to offer I may be too far into the waves to get back on my own.
Do you feel stressed and lost? Are you feeling insecure and alone? Do you love the things and the entertainment this world offers more than you love Him? Where do you spend most of your down time? What is your first love? This is what the Lord would say, “ Therefore say to the people, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s armies says; Return to me; and I will return to you,says the Lord of Heaven’s army,” (Zech 1:3) Have you drifted? He will help you to shore.
Maranatha!
Penny Lea
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