Hell on Earth
This post is in partnership with our dear friends at Letters to God.
As we think about 2020 - this has been a year straight from a movie. It has all felt unreal. Now more than ever we are constantly seeing the deterioration of humanity, the lack of unity, and the division of society. But I strongly believe that this is a season of miracles. We serve the God that does things and makes ways when there is no way. In a year filled with political unrest, racial injustice, a pandemic, extreme climate change, the lack of social interaction and everything that once was is completely different I believe that God is using this season for our good.
But as this year is proven to get harder and harder. It's been L after L and as I look around me everyone is searching for truth and something to anchor in on. Being a follower of Christ and being a Christian right now is, frankly cool, we guise it with the term "spirituality" and "energy" to make it more acceptable in the sight of others and palatable for us.
What we want is the convenience of Christianity. But when we get back to "normal," when we can travel again, when we can go out again, and when we go back to work will you still be committed to your faith? It's very easy to be around the things of God and go through the motions of being a believer but when life gets hard will you be a devoted disciple? We have two choices - connivence or commitment. Today I ask you: are we giving up the commitment of being devoted to the word of God for the convenience of being accepted by man?
I think about that and I recognize how hard it is to be devoted. Devotion requires us to sacrifice. It's not even a cute word to say: sacrifice. As human beings we all are inherently selfish an we want to do what we want when we want. I know I do especially when it comes to the plan that God has for my life. I delayed my purpose for preference. I do the things I feel like doing, that are fun, that are aligned with the things in my comfort zone but when God called me for more I succumbed to my preferences. I wanted to binge watch Netflix first, I wanted to go out with my friends, I wanted to travel the world, I wanted to sleep in and I wanted to scroll on Instagram more than I wanted to read my Bible and spend time with God. It took hitting rock bottom for me to recognize that the things that I was chasing after did not satisfy me at all.
What we've been called to do is develop the muscle of devotion where we "de-vote" and lose our vote to our decision. We become devoted to our predetermined choice to follow Christ. That choice to go when God says go, read the Word of God, give him our time, and sacrifice the things in which we want to do for the things that He's called us to. My question for you is - what choices are you making? What are you choosing to do that is becoming a habit? Is it the choice of reading your Bible each day for your daily bread? Is it the choice of sustaining relationships that bring glory and honor to God? Is it the choice to be obedient to God’s will for your life? Or are we forming habits that give into our preferences?