One day when Jesus was traveling the country with his small band of followers he asked them: “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples replied that most people thought that he was one of the prophets of old come alive. Then Jesus asked another question, one that caught his followers by surprise: “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?” This question is one that we too are required to answer.
Even in our time, which is sometimes called “Post-Christian”, we still find many people who at least say they believe in God and Jesus. However, when one goes deeper and asks who God or Jesus is to them, one receives a great variety of answers. Some say they like God because he cares, loves, answers prayers and is always willing to forgive when we have messed up. For those, the extent of relating to him seems to be limited to the times when we need him for something or other in our lives. When everything runs smooth, to think of, pray to and worship God is seen as excessive, even considered fanatical.
Consider for a moment that you are sick and would have to die unless an organ donor could be found who would jeopardize his own life by donating one of his vital organs for transplantation to you. Don’t you think that you would have a close relationship with that donor for the rest of your life out of thankfulness for his or her sacrifice?
God through his son Jesus Christ gave more than a spare part. He gave himself in order to rescue us.
What is your response? Are you committed to love God and follow him all the days of your life or are you loving in word only, like the young man who wrote to the girl who he was desperately in love with saying: “I am willing to endure the cold of the arctic, or cross the burning sands of the desert, or climb the highest mountains, or swim the ocean, just to be with you.” Then he closed his letter with these words: “I will see you Wednesday night if it does not rain!”
Let us love God not just when it is convenient but with our whole heart, let us love him with all that’s in us, love him with all we’ve got! (Deut. 6:5)
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