(Editor’s note: Find the other blogs for this series and other useful resources HERE.)
Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ (Genesis 31:11 ESV).
Most “grow where you’re planted” conversations are cheery encouragements. This one may seem to start off with less than those, but if you read on through it, you’ll be firmly planted in the joy of Jesus.
Our hometowns, our jobs, our churches – these are not where we are planted. Unless the Lord pulls us to heaven right now, we are planted on the earth to be guided by God wherever He desires as we share and grow through Christ until we are planted in the earth.
Even the dead serve God by reminding the living of the brevity of this physical life before eternity. The sting of death is more than salved for those who know Jesus as their Savior.
Recently, Dr. Joe McKeever’s blog on “What if we truly believed Jesus abolished death?” was a timely eye-opener and reminder of the power of our Redeemer. I highly recommend it to those who've lost loved ones, whether long ago or recently.
I remember holding Dad’s hand at the hospital while he struggled to breathe. His skin was thin, had been punched through with IVs, and pale so the veins were practically blue neon in comparison.
Dad had spent many days deteriorating. Unhooked from the machines that assisted his breathing, Dad struggled but maintained a rhythm. Early in the dark of morning, as I sat beside the bed with my hand on his and my head resting on my hand, I listened.
"His breathing changed," I said to everyone in the room. Immediately, everyone was up and around the bed. The tears had already started. The "I love you" and "Love you, Daddy" had already been said.
He was a good man; many recognized that; most importantly to his eternity though, he was a Christian.
Being good compared to others doesn’t get one into heaven any more than owning a pair of Nike shoes makes you a runner or Michael Jordan. The jump from being good to being seen as righteous by the living, holy God requires more than we are physically capable of no matter how much time we're given (see HERE for more about that gift that Jesus offers).
Dad's passing was three years ago in August, and now I reflect: Am I being content in serving God as He calls me or just complacent to coast along even though fear may be driving me from fully following Him?
Unfortunately, too many of us live our lives like a person on their deathbed – waiting. Passing the time away until we pass. It's the famous "just enough to get by," "don't cause waves," and "don't mess up a good thing" mindset.
God wants us to move from the good past the great right onto the street of holiness.
The weight of participating in the change God requires of us is minuscule. Jesus, who calls Himself gentle and humble, says the burden from the yoke He gives us is light.
Instead of being content in doing God’s will, we suffer being complacent in our excuses and fear. Complacency is no more contentment that dirt is air. One is heavy on the soul; the other rejuvenates. One drags us down; the other lifts us up. One seeks comfort because of the perceived cost; the other seeks obedience regardless of the cost.
Complacency’s fear becomes obvious when the prompts of the Lord are ignored as we assuage ourselves, “That’s the way we always do it,” or worse, “Better to stick with the Devil you know.” Of course, it’s said jokingly. In those instances, moments of obedience follow the near immediate chastisement of the Lord that Peter faced, “Get behind me, Satan.”
So where is the difference between living by faith versus disobedience? Perhaps it is the moment we pretend to tell ourselves the truth while knowing it is a lie.
“God doesn’t mind.”
“The Bible doesn’t really mean it that way.”
“All religions are basically the same.”
“God doesn’t care.”
“Nobody will find out.”
“He (or she) doesn’t deserve the respect I give others.”
“I’m a better person than…”
“I would have never done that.”
“They’re different from me.”
Hah! Different? How?
Do they not require their sins to be forgiven, my log-eyed Christian friend?
The growth God wants us to experience is frightening only because we misunderstand His plan, His power, and His love. The person who must know everything before taking that first step has less trust than the one who obeys immediately. In fact, have you never heard that delayed obedience is disobedience?
It seems God will gladly use us in a lessened capacity as He searches for others who will more fully obey. How many blessings have we missed because of disobedience? Probably more than our minds and hearts want to comprehend.
But thank God, His mercies are new every morning. He can restore dry rivers. He can create beauty from ashes. But all of that still requires moving from the moments of fear, excuses, and distrust to “Here I am, Lord.”
Are we listening?
“Here I am” is the word hineni. According to Rabbi Simcha Prombaum in The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle:
Hineni is different. It says, “I am here to listen to whatever the caller has to say, but (with the exception of Joseph) I do not yet know what the caller wants from me.”
Part of what God wants is His will done on earth as in heaven, His kingdom to come, and, in an amazing turn of events (for me, at least), He wants each of us to participate as we grow closer to Him. The closer we are to God, the more we will grow to be as He desires us to be.
It sounds obvious, and it should be. But do we live it? Are we living it continuously? Instead, how many of us decorate our lives with declarations about God versus doing the work with Him?
Lord, remove from us the lies we have about who You are and the lies we have about ourselves in relation to you so we may follow you better. Amen.
God is not afraid to grow us (2 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 6:1). In fact, His Word tells us He will grow us. We should desire it as the disciples did in Luke 17:5 when they said, “Increase our faith.” We should work at it (1 Peter 2:2-3) and pray for others who are growing too (Colossians 1:9-10).
To the one who says, “Here I am,” obedience inherently implies actual action.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1:22 ESV).
To experience the joy of Jesus, remember to be planted in obedience.
