Get In The Game

Matthew 16:24 - Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me."

Pretty simple instructions, don't you think?  Then why is this so hard?  The NASB translation (more accurate) puts it as "deny himself" as opposed to "turn from your selfish ways."  I think this is what stops a lot of us in our tracks.  We hear that and say, "Whoa...wait a second.  I'm supposed to have the easy good life when I become a Christian."  Umm...no, not exactly...

When we hesitate to deny ourselves, we aren't following Jesus.  We become sideline fans, rooting for other Christians at a distance.  We are called to get in the game and be an active participant in winning souls for God's Kingdom.  Being a sideline fan is just like being a lukewarm Christian, and we know what happens to lukewarm Christians (Revelation 3:16).

This is something I have struggled with a lot over the years.  I have caught myself more often than I care to remember, sitting on the sidelines and not getting involved.  Sitting there doing the "Yay Jesus" cheers (figuratively).  Why?  Because I'm too selfish.  I enjoy the comfortable lifestyle I have had.  Being able to just sit back and watch movies or play video games whenever I felt like it.  While I wasn't rich from a material standpoint, I felt rich because I had everything I believed I needed.

But Jesus opened my eyes to that.  In Revelation 3:17 Jesus says, "You say, 'I am rich.  I have everything I want.  I don't need a thing!'  And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked."  The key word there for me was "want".  The closer I have come to Jesus Christ in pursuit of my relationship with Him, the more I understand that He is all I need, and He is all I should want.  He satisfies everything I could possibly need or want.

If I want to experience the great and mighty things that God has for me, I need to stop cheering from the sidelines, and give up my selfishness so that I can be a follower and not a fan.  Have I really done that yet?

Father, thank You for showing me my tendencies towards selfishness that I am prone to.  I pray for Your forgiveness and ask that You heal my heart.  I want to experience the plans You have for me, and I realize that I will not see them if I'm on the sidelines.  I want Your will to be done in my life, and I don't want to be lukewarm.  I pray for those that have the same issues of selfishness.  My prayer is that they will understand that it is not about them, but about Your Kingdom and Your glory and I pray that they will turn from their selfish ways and seek and serve You wholeheartedly.  In Jesus' name, Amen!

God Bless!!!