Following Miguel’s message in worship Sunday, I have been thinking about what it looks like when we run from God. Are there times when perhaps we don’t even recognize we are running away from God, or wrestling with God? Are there ways we are called to help each other with that? Even, if I assume we all run away at some point or points in our lives, it certainly does not make it wise or right. Our turning bears some thought that we might not continue down that path.
Perhaps once we have begun to know the Lord, a different form of turning away from God’s call on our lives is standing still. This may be even more difficult to recognize. Standing still may happen when we become so comfortable with where we are in our relationship with God we stop growing, stop taking the next faithful step.
Perhaps we are so busy with life we are not spending time listening to, discerning God’s will in our lives. Sometimes in our busyness, we may even lose some of our passion for following Christ, for growing ever closer to our God. Maybe we’re even doing good, but are we staying in love with God?
Maintaining the status quo unless God has clearly directed you to do so, is not discipleship. Speaking to his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us that we are called to be the light of the world. He tells us not to foolishly hide our light under a bushel. In Matthew 5:13 he says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
In Revelation 13:15-16 ESV, the message to the angel of the church in Laodicea is to write to the church, “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” This isn’t a mild rebuff from our Lord, in fact, it sounds as though being lukewarm in our faith, being tepid is more distasteful to our Lord than the times when we’ve been struggling or running away.
There is no question our God is an “ALL IN” God! The only question remaining is whether we are “ALL IN” and if we are, what are we doing about it?
Peace and love,
Pastor Peggy