If you have kids, then I’m sure you’re familiar with the often heard refrain when you ask them to do something. “Not now dad, I’m busy.” Or the other one, “Ok, just a minute. But I’m doing something right now.” It’s funny how easy it is for them to shrug off what I want them to do, because they think what they are doing is so much more important.
Not that what they are doing isn’t worthwhile, or even a good thing, but in my omnipotent wisdom as a parent, I recognize what should be a priority, and I expect them to follow my priorities, not theirs. So, many times my response is, “Well, I don’t care what you are doing, right now I want you to clean your room. And when you’re done with your chores, then you can go back to what you’re doing.” Sound familiar?
It should sound familiar because as children of God, many times I think we respond to Him the same way as our kids often do to us. “Not now Father, I’m busy.” Or, “Ok, just a minute. But I’m doing something else right now.” The truth is, we are busy pursuing our priorities, and we think we will get around to doing what He wants us to do when it’s a little more convenient. And like children, we think that God should understand and even be sympathetic to our willfulness.
I think that was the idea behind what the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:6, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel.” Oh, we wouldn’t think of it as a different gospel, but actually it is. It is the gospel according to Roy Harrell, or the gospel according to John Smith. Our priorities take precedence over God’s. A deserter in the armed services may have what he thinks are good reasons to leave his commission, but regardless of his reasoning, to his superiors he is still a deserter.
Being a Christian requires more than just being a sunshine patriot. As the song we like to sing says, “Blessed be your name, when the sun’s shining down on me, when the world’s all that it should be, blessed be your name.” But it doesn’t end there. We’re called to bless His name “on the road marked with suffering, when there is pain in the offering, blessed be Your name.”
The wisest man that ever lived spent much of his life pursuing every thing he could think of to try to find fulfillment in his life. Until finally, at the end of his years, he recognized that it was all chasing after the wind. His conclusion was this, “fear God and keep His commandments." And he prefaced that with another statement that I think is timeless. Ecclesiastes 12 says, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say ‘I have no more delight in them’.” Remember Him, before the silver cord is broken, and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed.”
Let’s be about the Lord’s business, when it’s convenient and it’s not convenient. When the sun is shining, and when the wind is contrary. Let’s be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
P.S. Nobody said we couldn’t have ice cream though. Banana Split Sunday, August 7 at 7pm at the Harrell’s house. Bring a topping or some ice cream for just an evening of fellowship and fun.
