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So ends an old hymn of
dedication to Christ which begins with the words “Take
my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee” and
ends with “Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all
for Thee.” We sing this sometimes. But what does it
mean in practice?
The answer lies in the teaching
of Jesus. Another (children’s) hymn calls Jesus
“gentle” and “mild.” But those words may not come to
mind when we see what he asked of his disciples – and
therefore of us. We are his current disciples on earth.
He hasn’t changed his mind or his standards.
Here is a brief summary of some
(not all) of what Jesus asks of us (if you want
confirmation of my summary look up the Bible references
at the end of this article):
To love him with all our heart,
soul, mind and strength.[i]
To put him before anyone else[ii]
(actually, if we do that we shall love our family and
friends even better than we do now).
To be willing to accept
hardship, suffering and even opposition and hatred
because of our faith in him.[iii]
To put following him before
money, comfort, selfish ambitions and material things[iv]
(which includes sacrificial giving).
To love our neighbour as much as
we love ourselves.[v]
To be reconciled to anyone we
offend, to be forgiving, not being judgmental or
retaliating. Even to love our enemies[vi]
(we may not FEEL love but we can show love in practice
and by treating people properly).
Little wonder Jesus lost many of
his would-be followers (John 6:60-69). But through those
who remained with him, he turned the world upside down.
How do you score on that list?
God is looking for people who will live like that. The
church depends on people who live like that. They are a
minority.
C T Studd (the outstanding
cricketer who became a missionary in China, India and
Africa) said: “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me,
then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for
Him.”
If we really believe that Jesus
is God and did die for us on the cross then we shall
live in accordance with what Jesus asks of us above.
If we don’t live in that way,
people might be forgiven for thinking we don’t really
believe it.
Our church will always welcome
those who are enquiring about Christianity, those in
need, those with doubts, those who feel failures and
those who are not yet able to be fully committed.
Sacrificial commitment to Christ is a voluntary thing.
But it is what we stand for and aim at.
We can choose not to go that
way, but if we do go that way (albeit imperfectly), when
we meet Jesus and he says “Well done, good and faithful
servant” it will all seem very worthwhile.
How about it?
Tony Higton
[i] Matt 22:37-40
[ii]
Matt 8:22; 10:21, 34-37; Luke 9:61; 14:25
[iii]
Matt 10:22, 38-39; 16:24-25; John 15:20
[iv]
Matt 5:40-42; 6:4
[v]
Matt 22:37-40; John 15:12-13; 17:13-14; Matt
25:35-36; Luke 14:13; Mark 2:16; Luke 7:39
[vi]
Matt 5:22, 24, 39, 44; 7:1-5, 18:15, 21-22; Luke
17:3
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Do
We Believe in 3 Gods?
