Prayer Journal Entry #31: Riding the Fence

Dear God, (March 22nd, 2008)
I’m still searching for answers about what the Christian life is all about. All the Christians around me say (or live) that all we have to do is glorify You with our lives. I agree...but is it glorifying to You if we don’t reach out to the lost around us? We give You lip service on Sunday...but why won’t we give our lives for You the rest of the week? We may sacrifice some of our money for You, but what about giving our lives to You? What happened to losing our lives for Your sake?
We can’t keep riding the fence on this issue—it’s a matter of life-and-death...the death of millions of souls. If the Christian life is indeed about living a good life, using our talents and being happy, then let’s do it. But if it’s about taking up our cross, dying daily, renouncing all that we have...then let’s do it. But we’d better hurry up and decide...we can either cast our lot with materialistic Christians or with Jesus, but remember, no looking back. We must choose now and follow wholeheartedly.
What does following Jesus mean? Does it require throwing out some of our traditions? I know that it requires sacrifice, but how much? Does it mean spending the rest of our lives feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, comforting the hurting and sharing Jesus with the lost, or is it using our talents to support ourselves (or as a career) and then just reaching out to needy and lost people as we happen to run into them?
Whatever following Jesus means, I stake my lot, my life, my all with him. Whatever the cost, from this day on, until forever...I’m a follower of Jesus. No looking back...no turning back. Whatever will matter most when I see him face-to-face is what will matter most in my life.
I’m Yours, Abba. Yours Forever,
Rachel