May 2011 Archives
Stay Close to Jesus
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
It’s really a simple command but one few people live by. It’s easy to look around and comment on how hard it is to live a holy life but if your relationship with Jesus is what it should be, you will not be looking for other loves. When you are walking closely with Him, you begin to see as He sees. The things that used to appeal to you no longer have their luster. People who used to be fun to be around now become a weight that pulls you down. You begin to love the things God loves and hate what He despises. That is how closely we should be walking with Christ.
When you come to know the Lord, you begin learning His ways. You do that by reading His Word and learning to hear His voice. You find out early on what pleases Him and what displeases Him. At first, you are so in love that you would not do anything to hurt your Master so you strive hard to honor Him in everything you do. After the initial “honeymoon” phase wears off, however, you realize that the Christian is not exempt from pain, suffering or even temptation, and that’s when it’s easy to begin to go back to the old way of life.
Friends, life is too short. You can’t afford even a second of pleasure that is not given to you by God. His blessings are numerous but so much of what we desire is not what He has for us. We need to learn how to walk in the Spirit. It’s not a suggestion; it is a command.
The day will come when God will separate the wheat from the chaff. We need to be serious about our relationship with God so that we don’t find ourselves saying, “Lord, Lord, when did we see you in need and not minister to you?” Once you hear “Depart from Me. I never knew you,” it will be too late to turn. Now is the time. If there are things in your life which you know are not pleasing to God, I beg you to repent before the Lord and begin to live your life for Him. It doesn’t matter if you’re an elder, deacon, pastor … you may be an upstanding citizen to the eyes of all around you … but you know your heart and, if you don’t, God does. Ask Him to show you and then surrender the areas that you still have control of.
Jesus loves you so much. He desires to stay close to you. All He asks is that you draw near to Him. Feel His arms around you, look Him in the face, and tell Him how sorry you are for the way you’ve been living. He will forgive you and give you the strength to start anew. Then don’t look back. You won’t be sorry.
