The Robin Sings Anyway

Complaining. We all do it, especially about the weather. "It's too cold/hot/rainy/whatever." Like the Israelites   wandering in the desert, we are never happy. Nothing is ever good enough. 

I'm as guilty as the next person. I actually complain about the weather a lot--I don't like to be cold and warm weather has been proving to be elusive this year which is as it always is up hear near Lake Michigan. 

That is wrong. I've asked forgiveness for that and have purposed in my heart not to complain about the weather any more. After all, look what Christ did for me and here I am miffed that it's cold and rainy. Pretty lame and petty and whatever else you want to call it. 

It's easy to fall into the habit of complaining--it starts with the weather and grows from there. It's a habit and a bad one.  

I saw a robin today, hopping around looking for food for its young. Even when the sun doesn't shine, the robin still sings. 

I need to be like that. 

The Crux of the Matter

And he said to them all, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."  Luke 9:23 (KJV)

Deny myself? Say what?   Deny myself that second cup of coffee? Turn off the tv instead of watching that show on cable that's a little racy but so good? Push away from the table instead of taking a second or third helping?  Sounds a little unpleasant, doesn't it? 

That's the physical, but what about spiritual?  Stay after church services and put away the tables and chairs used for a fellowship? But I want to get home! Let someone else do it. Invite my neighbor to church? Oh, they wouldn't want to go anyway, so why bother? Besides, they might start looking at me funny and not be as friendly. And whose business is it if I watch those cable shows with the high rating? There's a good storyline and great acting! Who's gonna know, anyway?  And you just stay right out of my computer usage. It's no one's business but mine what I look at.  God knows my heart/intentions and you're not supposed to judge, Jesus said so.

 And what about the last part of that verse, about taking up a cross daily and following Jesus? Take up your cross? That doesn't sound like very much fun. Following Jesus, sure, if it doesn't cost me anything.

That's the crux of the matter, really. We don't want anything to inconvenience us. It's not that we only  think about Jesus on Sunday, we think about Him during the week, too, and sometimes even pray. And read the Bible.  That should count for something, don't you think?

It's time to ask hard questions, and nothing but commitment--true commitment--to Christ counts for something. There's a saying, 'The road to Hell is paved with good intentions'.  That is so true. Jesus Himself said that the way to destruction was broad and the path to salvation narrow. To me, this says that the herd mentality so prevalent in the world today is wrong.  What herd mentality? Why, the one that says there are many ways to God, because just believing that Jesus is the only way is so discriminatory and intolerant; the mentality that one should look at God through the lens of one's own sexuality, rather than the other way around (think about it), and many more examples abound.

Hive minds are good for bees, not so much for humans. God gave us free will--we're free to believe or not believe whatever we want. But there are consequences for this free will, and some of them are terrible.

Following Jesus isn't easy. You have to count the cost.

 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, "If any  man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosover will save his life shall lose it; and whosover will lose his life for My sake shall find it.   Matthew 16:24,25

 I don't want to be a fan of Jesus; I want to be His follower.

you want syrup on that waffle?

So many things are in your face these days; there’s no subtlety any more. Headlines blare the latest celebrity faux pas and hurried apology.  Atheists scream about dummies who believe in Creation rather than evolution.  Churches waffle about homosexuality or hold out welcoming arms.    

Despite that brashness, I see a lot of waffling lately in society, from the cool pastor who refuses to publicly address homosexuality to the teenager who merely shrugs when confronted with a controversial issue. What’s the deal? Doesn’t anyone have an opinion anymore? Why are we so afraid to speak our minds? No one likes a waffler. Not even Jesus:

Revelation 3:16: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of My mouth.

Pretty strong words there. But it’s easy to relate, especially when you think about having a piece of warmish food in your mouth when it’s supposed to be cold or hot. Yuck.

This political correctness has gone way too far. I think we still live in America, right? Land of the free, home of the brave, you know, the place so many soldiers have died so we could be free? You familiar with that country, or has it changed so much that it’s nearly unrecognizable?

There’s a herd mentality in America. Everyone’s afraid to form an independent opinion, to step off the escalator and forge a new direction. It reminds me of this verse:

Matthew 7:13  Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.

 That’s Jesus talking again, in case you didn’t know.  He’s basically saying that it’s no easy thing to walk the Christian walk. I personally find this verse a little frightening. So many people are on the broad way, just traveling along wherever the crowd goes, oblivious to the truth.

And what is the truth? The truth is that Jesus is the Son of God and he came to earth, lived 33 years as a man and then died on the cross and rose again so that we can have new life through Him. That wasn’t the end of it though. He had some parting words:

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Are we doing that? Are we telling every person that Jesus Christ died for their sins? Are we doing enough?

Am I doing enough?  That’s the hard, soul-searching question every Christian should ask themself, and no waffling allowed.