What if? I’m sure every parent recognizes those two little words. Children are notorious for asking questions such as why, how come, and what if. But allow me to ask you this simple question, what if?
What if America weren’t free? What if religious liberties were stripped away? What if worshipping God meant complete secrecy? What if reading your Bible could only be done in the privacy of your home? What if praying could only be done silently? What if witnessing of Him meant constant awareness of who was watching you? What if following God and being dedicated to Him meant death?
We all think about what other believers have gone through in other countries for following God, but can you truly say that you would do the same? Would you gladly lay your life on the altar of death for Christ? Most of us would respond with a resounding “Yes,” but think with me for a moment about your life right now.
If you took away everything that you do and looked at who you are, what would you see? If you got rid of the classes you teach, the bus routes you ride, the doors you knock, the floors you sweep, the babies you change, the people you encourage, the children you exhort, and all the good things that you do, what’s left? It’s not what you do, but who you are.
Why do you do what you do? Do you do it for praise, for recognition, for gratitude? Do you find yourself waiting for compliments after you’ve done something? Don’t get me wrong, doing things for Christ is not a bad thing (God commanded it!), but it does matter why you do them. If you look inside your heart and see why you serve God, you will see who you truly are.
I’m sure that those in other countries who worship God when it is illegal are not doing it for a pat on the back. They aren’t seeking man’s gratification, but God’s approval. Only when God’s approval is the center of your doing will you be who God wants you to be. We must be dedicated to Him and to His Word if we hope to stay faithful to Him.
Take time right now and consider your motives. Take away everything that you do and see who you really are. Are you truly seeking to please God or are you seeking to please man? So, what if you had to make the decision to serve God in a hostile environment? Would you make the right decision based on the motives you have right now?
What if America weren’t free? What if religious liberties were stripped away? What if worshipping God meant complete secrecy? What if reading your Bible could only be done in the privacy of your home? What if praying could only be done silently? What if witnessing of Him meant constant awareness of who was watching you? What if following God and being dedicated to Him meant death?
We all think about what other believers have gone through in other countries for following God, but can you truly say that you would do the same? Would you gladly lay your life on the altar of death for Christ? Most of us would respond with a resounding “Yes,” but think with me for a moment about your life right now.
If you took away everything that you do and looked at who you are, what would you see? If you got rid of the classes you teach, the bus routes you ride, the doors you knock, the floors you sweep, the babies you change, the people you encourage, the children you exhort, and all the good things that you do, what’s left? It’s not what you do, but who you are.
Why do you do what you do? Do you do it for praise, for recognition, for gratitude? Do you find yourself waiting for compliments after you’ve done something? Don’t get me wrong, doing things for Christ is not a bad thing (God commanded it!), but it does matter why you do them. If you look inside your heart and see why you serve God, you will see who you truly are.
I’m sure that those in other countries who worship God when it is illegal are not doing it for a pat on the back. They aren’t seeking man’s gratification, but God’s approval. Only when God’s approval is the center of your doing will you be who God wants you to be. We must be dedicated to Him and to His Word if we hope to stay faithful to Him.
Take time right now and consider your motives. Take away everything that you do and see who you really are. Are you truly seeking to please God or are you seeking to please man? So, what if you had to make the decision to serve God in a hostile environment? Would you make the right decision based on the motives you have right now?
by Dr. Paul Chappell
3 comments:
I am ashamed to admit that my motives at times have not been centered around the Lord's approval. But you are absolutely right! We should only seek to please Him!!! Good post!
I think we all can say that our motives haven't always been right. But when we seek to please ONLY Him then our motive can't help but be right.
Freedom is often taken for granted. Good post! I always love to hear from Paul Chappell.
Something in this post struck a thought in me...."If you look inside your heart and see why you serve God, you will see who you truly are"...this is true. Some may find that they have a true servants heart, yielding themselves to the Saviour and Him alone. Others will find that they are not serving God at all, but rather themselves.
~Kristi
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