Two Things I can't Do

Scripture:
"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they man immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks." Luke 12:15

Observation:
Living alert is tough. As time passes by complacency becomes difficulty to resist. As complacency slowly takes over, it is impossible to avoid becoming detached from the mission given. Once detachment removes you from your mission your purpose is lost. Lost purpose strips a person of his deepest sense of value.

Application:
Life is not about me. That is a message that I often do not want to hear. Actually, I have learned to embrace the message. It is living it out that still gets the best of me. Everything in the world is designed around me. I can get pretty much what I want, the way I want it, when I want and where I want it. My appetite is only limited by access to resources. This makes depending on God difficult. Many people say that they just could not make it without God, but I often wonder how many really mean it. For me, this world is convenient enough to get by with normal, daily living just fine without depending on God.

That is where the challenge come is. It can't do life normally. There is a higher calling and greater expectations on those who follow after Christ. That is what I love about this verse. "be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps lit." I can feed myself without depending on God. I can do my job without depending on God. I can raise my family, love my kids, entertain my friends, defend my house and do many other things without depending on God.

As strong as I am and as much as I can do on my own, this verse reminds me of two simple commands and are beyond my abilities.

Prayer:
This verse lights a fire inside of me. It reminds me of the fact that I am a man on a mission. You have a calling for me. There is a purpose on my life that offers a sense of value that can be felt deep inside of my soul. There is more to life than just existing. There is more to being a follower of Christ than singing hymns, walking a straight line, and reading the Bible. There are battles to fight. There are people to save. There are challenges to face. And there is a King to serve.

I pray today that you keep me on the edge of my faith. Sharpen my wisdom, open my eyes, and kick me in the pants. I can live life on my own. That is a choice and it is very possible to do. But I chose today to follow after You. Experience has taught me that I can survive quite well on my own, but living for You is a much better thing. No sense of personal fulfillment or enjoyment can compare to the sense of inner peace I feel when I walk in Your pleasure. I desire more than anything to seize this day and celebrate it like a man waiting on His master to return to take him home.