"If any man come to me and hate not his father,
and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren,
and sisters, yea and his own life also,
he cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:26

So, I'm thinking at this point that I know everything I need to know about being a Christian.  I had been through a lot and God had really taught me some remarkable things. 

But, again, God wasn't finished teaching me.  This time, I learned perhaps the most important lesson of all.

By now, my car has died.  I buried it and prayed that there was no after life for automobiles!  I had no transportation at all for about two weeks.  During this time, I also had no taxi money.  So, I walked to work each day.

I loved my job.  I liked my co-workers.  The manager was great to work with.  We had a lot of fun.  I just really loved my job.  And, besides, quite obviously I needed the money! ;-)

So, for these two weeks I walked to work.  Of course, it was during the winter!  I realized then that God had prepared me last winter for this winter! ;-)  It was cold walking those two miles.  I remember one particular night it was sleeting and I had left my coat at work, so I had to walk in the sleet without real protection from the elements. IT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY as I made my way through the drivng wind and sleet.  BUT, I was determined to get there and be the best employee I could be.  I was committed to my job and nothing was going to stop me short of what was expected of me.

That winter, at our Christmas party, I was named Co-Worker of the Year, even though I had only been with the company about seven months.  I was grateful that my peers and my manager had voted for me to receive this honor, but I showed little emotion until I got back to my apartment that night.  When I did arrive home, I began to cry.  Tears of happiness.  Tears of joy.  Tears of gratefulness.  Tears of thanks. Tears of commitment. You see, I had worked hard.  I had made sacrifices.  I had been faithful and it did not go unnoticed, even though it seemed like it did at the time.

In this plague, if you want to call it that, God showed me that "Yes," I had learned a lot about the Christian life, but there was one thing lacking...and that was real commitment.

I am convinced that the single greatest problem in Christianity today is that most believers base their relationship with God on convenience rather than commitment.  Many people, including myself at the time of this plague, are afflicted with what I have labeled, the "IF complex."  Let me explain.

A believer who bases their relationship with God on CONVENIENCE makes statements like these:

1. I will give my tithe IF I have the money.
2. I will praise the Lord IF things are going well for me.
3. I will attend church IF it fits into my schedule.
4. I will love my neighbor IF they do not offend me.
5. I will serve God IF I have the time.
6. I will share the Gospel IF the person is receptive and does not make me feel uncomfortable.

Contrast that with a believer who bases their relationship with God on COMMITMENT:

1. I will give my tithe, even though money is tight.
2. I will praise the Lord, even though things look grim.
3. I will attend church, I'll change my schedule.
4. I will love my neighbor, even though they offend me.
5. I will serve God, I'll make the time.
6. I will share the Gospel even though the person rejects it and I feel uncomfortable.

God told me that He must come first, above everything.  In Luke 14:26 Jesus said, "If any man come to me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."  Please don't misunderstand what Jesus was saying.  In the original Greek language, the word "hate" means a relative preference for one thing over another.  Jesus wasn't talking about hate...

...He was talking about love. 

He was simply saying, you can love all of these things, but you must love Me more.  I must be the priority, the preference in your life, over everything.  Our problem isn't that we are too passionate about bad things, but rather we are not passionate enough about Christ.

Christian, when was the last time tears of commitment ran down your face?  When was the last time you really gave your all to Jesus?  It doesn't go unnoticed, my friend.  Jesus is watching, and you may never receive an award, but you will receive a reward.

I saw a sign on a beanie baby display at McDonald's not too long ago.  It read, "Sold out."  That's the kind of sign that the Lord wants you and I to wear in reference to our relationship to Him..."Sold out."

Does you life say that you are Sold Out to Jesus?

Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"
Jimmy D. Brown
\o/ Praise Jesus!