When God calls, He wants our full commitment. He doesn't want our YES with conditions. We are either in or out. We are either hot or cold. But we can't be warm. God doesn't want us to be warm of spirit. We are either with God or with the world. We can't have two masters. "No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24
The world will be our biggest obstacle in our journey to God. The world, with all its glitter, holds an incredible attraction for us. It's like a magnet that is constantly trying to pull us apart from God. We just went through a season that gives us a bird's eye view of how the world tries to absorb us and separate us from God. Last month we celebrated Christmas, which is purely the celebration of the birth of Jesus. And yet, the world is trying to convince us that Christmas is not a religious holiday but a commercial holiday. And sadly, they are succeeding. We spend more time in the stores shopping for "Christmas" than we do in church celebrating the birth of our Saviour.
The world tries to make us believe that we will find happiness in material things. But the truth is that material things only bring us a false sense of happiness. We can only find real happiness when we are in communion with God. We cannot even find everlasting happiness in other human beings. We need other human beings because we were created to live in community. God does not want us to live in isolation. But we can't find happiness through others. We can only depend on God who is the source of all happiness. When we lose a loved one, they leave a big hole in our hearts. This hole can only be filled with God.
Once we find this happiness in our relationship with God, our personal circumstances won't matter. If we are in true communion with God, it won't matter whether we are sick or healthy, old or young, rich or poor, male or female. There is a lady in my church who has serious health issues, but you wouldn't know it if you met her. Even though she lives in constant pain, she radiates joy, the joy that can only come from God. I have visited the sisters of charity near Jackson. They live in the most humble conditions and yet, when you walk into their home, you can't help but feel a tremendous sense of peace. The reason is that they have consecrated their lives and what little they possess to God. And on the other side of the spectrum, I have also met very rich people who are very happy but their happiness doesn't radiate from the things they possess, their happiness comes from God. They have heard His voice and they are following Him.
God is calling each one of us in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. It doesn't matter if we are healthy or sick, rich or poor, young or old. He needs our time, our talent and our treasure. He needs the healthy and the rich to help the poor and the sick. He needs the poor and the sick to help out in His church. He needs the energy of the young and the wisdom of the old. He needs all of us because we are one body and each one of us has a special talent that is unique and different from the rest.
God is calling us to put our entire beings at His service. If you are not ready to commit one hundred percent, then He will continue to wait. He is very patient.
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