If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift—Matthew 5:23-24
It is easy for us to imagine that we will suddenly come to a point in our lives where we are fully prepared, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished. In fact, it is a process that must be steadily maintained. It is dangerous to become settled and complacent in our present level of experience. The Christian life requires preparation and more preparation.
The sense of sacrifice in the Christian life is readily appealing to a new Christian. From a human standpoint, the one thing that attracts us to Jesus Christ is our sense of the heroic, and a close examination of us by our Lord’s words suddenly puts this tide of enthusiasm to the test. “. . . go your way. First be reconciled to your brother. . . .” The “go” of preparation is to allow the Word of God to examine you closely. Your sense of heroic sacrifice is not good enough. The thing the Holy Spirit will detect in you is your nature that can never work in His service. And no one but God can detect that nature in you. Do you have anything to hide from God? If you do, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin in your life, don’t just admit it— confess it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master, whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?
Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, “I will not give up my right to myself”— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
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September 24, 2012
Journal Entry-JDV
Lord, this lesson is about being prepared to serve You. However, I am certain there is no preparation that would be “good enough”. We cannot prepare ourselves for a life that is to be lived by Jesus through us, can we? I mean, how can we even think about how to prepare ourselves for a work that can only be done by Jesus?
And God says…”The preparation you can do is to surrender, every day, every way, and at every opportunity. Give your life to Jesus as a sacrifice and let Him live through you. I it is not necessary for you to try and live the “good Christian life”, and even if you tried gallantly, you would over time, fail, again and again. However, when you surrender to Jesus, he can and does accomplish more than you can dream, through you. And most times you will not even realize the testimony you have delivered simply by allowing Jesus to live through you. To live the Christian life does not mean you will quote the 4 spiritual laws and introduce John 3:16 to your brothers and sisters, it means that they will come to see Jesus in you as a result of your surrender.”
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