God Wants All of Us

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment Mark 12:30.

“The highest Christian love is not devotion to a certain work or cause, but to God.” Oswald Chambers

In his quote, Bro. Chambers certainly wasn’t giving justification for sporadic church attendance, nor an excuse for slothful service. The point he was making is to keep God at the center of your life. Just God.

There was a time early in our ministry when Pam and I were faced with a difficult choice. We had recently built what we thought would be our forever home. Shortly thereafter, we were called to pastor our first church and were extremely excited about our new assignment. Before we officially took office, I met with the Board to finalize details. In that meeting, the Board asked that we move into the parsonage. It was by no means a requirement, simply a request. On my way home that night I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was the very beginning of our pastoral ministry, and I felt it would set a precedence for the future of our ministry. I knew God was saying, “Submit to the request,” but I wasn’t sure what my wife was going to say. Arriving home, I explained to her that the Board had requested we move into the parsonage (did I mention that it was adjacent to a cemetery?) and that I felt we should move. I was braced for her heart to break, and it did, but not for long. I will never forget her words to me late that spring night in 1993. “This house doesn’t belong to us. We dedicated it to God; it belongs to Him.” She went on to preach me a message about Abraham and Isaac (she is a good preacher). She talked of how Abraham was willing to give back to God the very blessing God had given to him. We both agreed that our little house wasn’t comparable to the value of a child, but the principle was no less the same. We started packing.

We decided that day that we would never place anything in front of God – not our home, not our children, not even our marriage. Absolutely nothing. To do so would put that person or object in harm’s way. God wants ALL OF US!

I really enjoy what God has called me to do. Every aspect of ministry has its own challenge, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges. However, ministry is not God. Church is not God!

There is a possibility I may outlive my days of ministry. If my identity is my ministry, I will be a lost and lonely soul. Thank God for the work He has called you to do, but as Chambers said, our work or cause, however noble and anointed, is not where our highest devotion should lie. God alone should have our total devotion.

I pray that a healthy soul and relationship with God will be your focus and goal. Remember, He is the only blessing that will never leave you!

Suggested reading: Genesis 22:1-18; Galatians 5:16-26