I'm a User... OUCH!

God has a way of speaking to me that is both undeniable and disconcerting.  Whenever God has a message that He wants to drive through my thick skull, He repeats it over and over.  No matter where I look, what I hear, or what I am reading - every sense to brings home the importance of the message God is delivering.

Why is this disconcerting?  Because my experience is that God seldom resorts to this methodology to tell me something easy...

The message this time?  I'm a user.

Everyone who calls Jesus "Savior," is one of two things:  we're either a user or a follower.  We either soak in the blessings of God or surrender everything for God.  We either pursue our agenda or surrender to God's agenda.  We either call ourselves "Christian" because of what's in it for us (eternal salvation, peace beyond understanding, provision of our needs, etc.) or we identify ourselves with Christ because we are surrendering to His agenda - no matter the cost.

What is God saying to me over and over?  Confession time.  I'm a user.  I hate that.  I hate to say it.  I hate to admit it.  I hate to confess it.  Have there been times in my life where I've been more of a follower than a user?  I believe so.  I hope so.  But the truth of the matter is this:  it doesn't really matter what I've been, it only matters what I am.  God deals with me in the present.  He redeems my past and calls me to Himself for His purposes... not my purposes.  My present finds me being a user. 

The truth of our faith is that salvation is free in Christ Jesus.  We cannot "DO" anything to earn eternal life.  Christ has "DONE" all that is required.  But the act of salvation is the last thing that is free... In accepting Jesus as Savior we are called to surrender to Him as Lord.  It becomes so easy - particularly in our American culture - to relegate God to the status of "app" on our smart phone.  We touch the screen when we need a "God-fix."  We open the app when we have a need.  We use Him to our benefit.

If you are at all like me, the temptation is to take what we know we are doing poorly and try to balance the scales with whatever it is we feel we are doing well.  We tithe (occasionally).  We pray (when it suits us).  We don't use bad language or speak evil of others (unless it is really necessary).  We are faithful in church attendance (unless its spring break or vacation).  The problem is that this kind of math didn't work for our salvation, and neither does it work for Lordship.

I don't know what this means for me right now, but I'm pretty sure its going to hurt.  God is calling me back - LOUDLY - to full surrender.

Has this been an issue you've wrestled with?

I'd love to hear about it!  Share your thoughts below.

Mark 8:34-37 (NLT)  Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, [Jesus] said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.  And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  Is anything worth more than your soul?

Matthew 7:21 (NLT)  “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter."