Don't miss out?

As a response to a dear friends blog, If I perish, I perish.

It also amazes me that there are those who think that they cannot whole heartedly follow Christ because they might miss out. The amazing thing is, that is me to often.

Don't miss out? Don't miss out on what? Let's just be frank, the reason we do not want to miss out on the things of this world is because they are more important to us than Christ. We enjoy our sin. That is why people sin isn't it? If sin were not fun, if sin were hard work, would people be as apt to do it?

Take for instance a teenage boy, (I a going to be "to the point" here) who is a sexual relationship with his girlfriend. The truth of the matter is, he likes it. He likes it enough that he is willing to risk in order to have it. There is a satisfaction in his actions. This is not to say they are right, just to say that it is obvious the action is worth doing to him.

To break this down to the simplest form, this young man does not consider a relationship with Christ worth more than the moment of sin, providing instant pleasure. A relationship with Christ is hard work and it does not satisfy him the way sex does. We could go into all of the consequences of the sin and the reasons why he will pay for his sin, and the possible situations that it will produce, yet all this has taken a back seat in his mind for the gratification. Christ is seen as less valuable than sex.

This situation is simplistic, I admit, but the truth is in any sin we choose the sin over our relationship with Christ. What that says is, we do not truly know or are thinking about who Christ really is. The treasure he is and the true joy that he can bring. We have set our sin ahead of Christ because we do not know him well enough to know that it is absolutely ridiculous to trade a growing relationship with him for a moment of selfish desire.

We must go back to the book and remind ourselves of the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ. We must, when tempted, set our minds on things above. Why? Because if we truly know what the things above are, sin, in comparison, seems complete nonsense. As C.S Lewis says we are content on making mud pies on the shore when God is offering us a holiday at sea.

If you desire the things of this world more than Christ, then ask God to capture your heart and show you the truth of how much he is worth and what a relationship with him is priceless.

Why can Esther (The woman in my friends blog) walk all over South Korea, loose toe nails and risk life, because she understands that Christ is worth so much more, and to disobey is to deny what she truly desires. May the Lord reveal to our complacent, stubborn hearts the same truth.