Am I, If I?

Last night we listened to a podcast by Allister Begg.  He was speaking about Jesus’ command to “follow” Him.  It was interesting in that he related it to the “commandments” in the Old Testament as well as the clarifications in Jesus’ words, and how almost every time they intersect with the everyday lives of God’s children.  

He started out by talking about how a child may say, “I want to follow Jesus,” but then that child will not follow even a mundane requirement from his or her parents.  

Are we like that? 

Am I?  If I?

If I tell you that I love my God, but when He says love your enemies, do I say, “that’s not the same”? 

So, AM I following His direction, but only IF I, or when I, feel that other people deserve my love and forgiveness - is that following Him?

Maybe I truly believe God doesn’t expect me to love my enemies?

But Jesus said He did expect that!  So in the middle of the night this question came to me.

AM I FOLLOWING HIM, IF I?

He said to care for the orphans and widows.

Is it loving Him less to say, let some “another”
look to the needs of the struggling mother?
Do I slow down each day and look at the need,
of the lonely, the lost or the beaten and tossed?
Or is it loving Him more to open my arms,
my home  and my hands
to the ones who’ve been harmed.

He said “Love Me, The Lord, with all of your heart.
Let’s look at that statement and tear it apart.

Love Him - The Lord (the Master is He.)
Does that mean I obey Him, or focus on me?


Is it loving Him less to say, "You didn’t expound,
when You gave me the words that I can’t get around."
If I twist out the meaning of “Child, thou shalt not”
or I strive to fit in the desires I have got. 

Or is it loving Him more to release all this pride, 
and do it His way,
and let Him be my guide”?

Love Him - The Lord (the Master is He.)
Does that mean I obey Him, or focus on me?

Relationships matter to God and to me.  
Commandments design our life's purity.
Commandments, examples, of living a life 
of commitment to God, to husband, to wife.  
Structure in families, communities, too.  
It isn’t a game of just “doing you.”

Love Him - The Lord (the Master is He.)
Does that mean I obey Him, or focus on me?

If we look into the mirror of God’s word, we find that we fall far short of His desire for us.  God has had so much to forgive.  We are His creation, made to glorify Him, to raise His name - His image, high.  And we certainly don’t always do that.  

But, I'm amazingly blessed to know that He has given us this word - forgiveness, and the assurance of His willingness to forgive, because I need it so desperately.

God does forgive when we ask – when we repent, but Jesus said He will not forgive if we don’t forgive others.  That is one thing many of us have a problem with.  

God doesn’t offer to let us follow Him less in that area either.  I can’t find an excuse for it in the scripture.  God says to forgive.  In Jesus’ sermon on the mount, He said, “If you don’t forgive, My Father in heaven will not forgive you.” That seems pretty plain.

So where to go from here?

Love Him - The Lord (the Master is He.)
Does that mean I obey Him, or focus on me?