*CAUTION: CONTINUED READING MAY CHANGE YOUR LIFE. PROCEED ANYWAY.*
Reckless. Abandonment.
Two words that invoke a sense of excited adrenaline and fearful curiosity. Most people want to be reckless with their life; they want to blaze through with the steering wheel in their hands and the gas pedal straight down. VRROOOOM! Hiiiyaaa, thunk, splunk, thyump.
(But enough with the sound effects.)
Abandonment, quite simply, is the act of abandoning. The process whereby a thought, an item, a habit, is discarded and all former attachments are thoroughly removed.
Applied to the Christian faith, the concept becomes “taking no precautions when discarding that which should not be attached to your relationship with Jesus.” This is not a one-time act; it’s a lifestyle.
At AWANA last week, the speaker reminded us how we must “lose everything…or lose everything.” He used the illustration of a hot air balloon attempting to ascend from inside a 2,000 ft. canyon. “Are you going to waste your whole life by just throwing out little things and slowly inching your way to the top? Or are you gonna throw out everything and take flight?”
Nobody “likes” to sort through their life. Nobody “likes” to admit that they have junk that should be tossed. Nobody “likes” going at a faster pace than what they’re comfortable with. But this isn’t about what we “like”, it’s about what we are supposed to do.
Paul tells us that we are to “walk worthy of the calling we have received”. Think about it…what is this calling? To love the LORD, our God, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. To be imitators of Christ. To proclaim the good news of His salvation. You cannot imitate what you have not studied, and you cannot demonstrate what is not within you. It is impossible to be an accurate representation of Christ if you do not love God with ALL that is within you. It is impossible to love God without obeying Him.
We want God to approve of us, yes? We want to correctly apply the word He has given us, yes? There’s a verse that specifically deals with this issue…and it regards diligence.
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
STUDY. Study, study, study! How many times are we reminded, in the Scripture, to study it, and learn how to apply it? This, people, THIS is what pleases God! Reading is good, yes, but we read so we can apply! We don’t read to let the word of God rot and stagnate in our redeemed souls. It is too valuable for that.
When we read and study, and when we’re in constant communication (continual prayer) with God, then will we understand the condition of our lives and make plans for improvement. Stop for a second: improvement. That means “to make better”. As we apply the word of God, our lives become BETTER. It’s still not our good deeds that justify us in God’s sight, but we are under the obligation to obey the “Lord and Savior” of our lives.
If you have claimed God’s gift of salvation, if you have understood the Truth and been set free by it, you will, without hesitation, be compelled to live a life of reckless abandonment.
Christians abide in Christ, and He in them.
Who is abiding in your life?
jess leigh hanna 