The Hard Path

There is a destructive evil in Christianity today and a tendency for preachers to comfort the masses with words of peace.  Given the bad news on the TV each day it is no wonder that we long to hear something pleasant.  The more upbeat the message- the more popular the preacher.  The helplessness we feel over devastating weather patterns or shaky global economy should cause us to look to God for comfort and answers but sadly even Christians turn to the government – not God. 

   

When I saw hurricane Sandy headed for the east coast I prayed that my friends and relatives out there would cry out to God for protection- deliverance- salvation!  I thought of the biblical account in Amos 4 where God is talking to Israel and says:

 “I gave you cleanness of teeth (starvation) in all your cities, and lack of bread…yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. “I also withheld the rain from you…I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither… yet you did not return to me,”…I struck you with blight and mildew; … your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,”  “I sent among you a pestilence(plague or disease)… I killed your young men with the sword…and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.

          God very clearly takes responsibility for starvation, drought, insect and plant diseases- loss of crops, human illness and even war and death.  He is sending calamities in the hopes that His people will return to Him and acknowledge their need for His provision and protection.  But He laments that despite all suffering and loss the people refuse to cry out for His help.

We have made God into a formula: "Just say this prayer, give, serve, try to do the right thing and you can go to heaven when you die".  How nice.  How handy and convenient.  I have been to a number of funerals where the deceased never showed any interest in God his entire life.  Why would he even WANT to “go to heaven and be with God”?  His very life proved that he didn’t.  But many don’t want to face the awful truth that someone we knew and loved might be facing an eternity of screaming agony…so we talk about what a good man he was.

I fear that churches today neglect the call to fight evil, pursue holiness, put on the full armor, engage in the battle against sin, be watchful and pray.  Fight against our natural tendency to be spiritually lazy.  If it’s true that I simply need to follow a few guidelines and “believe” the right things then why would Scripture warn so strongly against sin and call us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling!? (Phil 2:12).  It is NOT a simple formula – it’s a craving- a hunger- a passionate pursuit of God and a desire to be with Him more than we want life here on earth.  It’s a love that encompasses our heart and mind and body and soul.  It’s a desperate desire to know Him better and please Him more every day.  It’s a heart thing- not a ritual.  We have to WANT to be with God so much that it affects everything we do and everything we are.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

(Matt 7:14) Search for it!  This is the most important thing you can do in all of life!!