Why are there so many Christians who seem to never really EXPERIENCE God? As a believer in Jesus, I have struggled with this question lately. Perhaps it’s because I’ve witnessed several adults walk away from God and their faith in the last couple of months. It’s been heartbreaking! Or being a teacher, who has taught and counseled children since I was a teen working with my mother, I have a burden to not just lead children to trust Jesus for salvation, but to see them grow and follow Him as a lifelong disciple.
Not too long ago, I even heard someone I know and consider to be a strong and mature believer say, “I’ve never heard God speak to me.” I was blown out of the water! Why? Even as a little girl, I can recall specific times in which God spoke.
And just like in the Bible, I firmly believe God still “speaks” to His children today – through the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, in prayer, through circumstances, in church and through other believers.
Sometimes I think we as believers don’t experience the love relationship He intends because we are holding on too much to this world. We clutch what’s in our hands and don’t release it to God – sometimes out of ignorance and most of the time out of control. And by doing so, we can’t experience the love and intimacy with God that He so desires.
What’s in your hands? By that I mean, is there anything or anyone you’re grasping too tightly?
As believers, we know from scripture to turn from the “pattern of this world” (Romans 12:1-2). We know to abstain from drugs, excessive drinking that leads to drunkenness, immoral sexual behavior, gambling, pornography, lust, cussing, etc. Those are really “no brainers” as they are spelled out in scripture – and probably you’ve heard that reiterated in church.
But I think there are GOOD things that we have a tendency to cling to vs. relinquishing them to God. When we cling to even these “good” things, it definitely has a negative impact on our relationship with God. We are in essence saying, “YOU are not enough.” How can we say that or think it in regards to the God of the Universe who gave up Jesus for you and me?
In John 6: 5 -15 Jesus has just finished speaking to a large crowd and asks Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Of course, you know the story. A little boy has a lunch of 5 barley loaves and 2 fish that he offers. Jesus thanks the Father for his provision; the disciples distribute the food to the crowd of over 5,000. Not only is there plenty of food, but there are leftovers – 12 baskets full!!! Such a miracle!
Obviously, God and Jesus get credit for multiplying the food and making it go far enough. But part of what is significant is that the little boy is willing to give up what he has to provide for others. He’s willing, if you will, to put his food in the Master’s hand. What he has – what is in his little hand is released to Jesus to do with as he pleases.
What is the little lad had said to the disciples, “This is MY lunch. My mom packed it for me. It’s not to be shared with all these other people that I don’t know.” That might seem silly to you, but don’t we have that attitude at times? I confess I have had it at times. It’s mine – why should I give up MY money, time, resources or ??
Here are just a few other examples from the Word.
Abram. What if this man had clung too much to his home country and homestead that he had built. When God called and said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1, Abram could’ve easily responded and said, “Lord, do you know how long I’ve lived here in Ur? All my cousins, aunts and uncles are here. It’s where I feel safe and secure. Do you know how long it’s taken me to build everything and acquire all this?” Isn’t that more of our tendency in the faith vs. hearing from God and obeying. But Abram didn’t say any of that. In Genesis 12:4 we read, “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him…” Needless to say, Abram didn’t cling to the familiar or what made him secure. His security was in God; his faith was greater than the land he had grown up in and even in his family (yes, I realize Sarai went with him and Lot, but not all of his family or people he knew).
Moses. I could not leave one of my heroes of the faith out. I so identify with him; he wasn’t quite sure God had chosen the right person. Moses did answer the call and finally surrendered to God.
God asked Moses to throw down his staff so God could teach this man of faith what HE alone could do. But what if Moses had clung to his past or his sin of murder vs. the power that was in his hands because of God’s equipping? He had to lay that down for God to truly use Him. Some of us still cling to past sins, and that makes us ineffective or provokes feelings of unworthiness or condemnation. When we’ve confessed those sins before the Father, we know He removes them “as far as the east is from the west”. If we’re burdened by them, it’s our own flesh to blame. Certainly, it is not God. He can still use us, if we will unclench our past sins from our own hands (and minds).
Hannah constantly prayed for a child; she wanted to be a mother more than anything. But when God granted her request, she did not cling to her precious son, Samuel. She offered him back to God – for Samuel to be God’s servant. Oh, so many lessons we mothers especially can learn from Hannah!
In Matthew 4:18- 20, we read, “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ Ats once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”
Peter and Andrew didn’t ask questions of Jesus. “Where are we going? How long will we be gone? Shouldn’t I take some items with me?” They didn’t ignore, argue or question Jesus. Both brothers dropped what was in their hands and followed.
With James and John, they not only dropped their nets, they left their boat and their father. This account has always stuck with me as it truly is stunning. They left their current livelihood; they left their ability to make a living and a wage; they left the family business; and they left their father (and mother) – two people whom they dearly loved (according to other scripture passages). It’s obvious, Jesus came first. They didn’t have to weigh the pros and cons; they didn’t consider their welfare or that of their parents; they didn’t even think of logical or practical reasons NOT to follow. Bottom line: They didn’t cling to what was in their hands. And what was familiar and even good. They just followed Jesus without hesitation.
It’s just supposition on my part. But there had to be part of them that realized that giving up everything for this special man was going to be worth it.
And of course, my list of examples from the Bible could go on and on, but it wouldn’t be complete without Jesus. As always, He is the One who sets the standard in this department as He does in all areas.
In Philippians 2, Paul writes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Just this one verse implies and hints to the fact that something will need to be given up or sacrificed. But he goes on to discuss Jesus’ humility. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.”
In other words, Jesus didn’t just lay down one thing in his holy and human hands, Jesus chose to lay down it ALL. He gave up His rights and deity as God Himself; He relinquished control of His heavenly position and authority…and gave up his very life to God as a sacrifice for each of us. He did that to obey the Father and because of His love for His Father and us
Shouldn’t we follow His example?
Again, I think most of us want the abundant life God offers through following Jesus, but we still want to cling to our rights — or certain people or certain things.
So, I leave you with this question:
Who or what is in your hands that God is calling you to release? Maybe it’s a person or family members. Perhaps it’s a job or hobby – or something entirely different. Maybe it’s trying to fit in with the world.
Whatever your “who/what” is, He is asking you to pry your death grip off of “it” and surrender “who/what” to Him. To fully experience the abundant life God offers, He is calling you and me to lay down whatever it is or whoever it is at the feet of Jesus and surrender it to Him.
Laura's Lines 