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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Do You Cling to God in the Bad Times and Walk Away from Him in the Good?

I have seen so many people return to church when something has gone wrong. They may be in financial stress or going through a divorce or have a sick child or any number of things. They have already tried everything else. God is their last resort.

They will come, having read their Bibles daily, prayed with the fervor or a prophet and just as committed as a missionary, looking for God to pull them out of their latest jam. They are relatively sincere. They are sincere until the crisis is over. Then, they go back to their old ways as soon as they can.

I can imagine how God feels. He only receives your love when you are in a crisis. So, why shouldn't He send you more bad times? Its the only time you listen to Him. Its the only time you are close to Him. It is the only time you praise Him or worship Him. 

I believe that this happens to many Christians because they have no vision of God's purpose for their lives. If asked, they will claim to know Christ but they cannot reveal anything of His purpose for their lives. Church is just something they do when they don't have anything else to do. Prayer is something they do in a crisis. Reading the Bible is one of those things they wished they had done but never get around to. 

Those without a vision of God's purpose are like yo-yo 's. They get close and go away and get close and go away. Yo-yo Christians do not realize that the God is working all the time. They do not know that He has called them to be His during their work hours. They do not realize that He has called them to be His at the ballpark. They do not realize that He has called them to be His with their families. They think they are just His at church. Therefore, even church has no meaning for them. It is just a place to get help if you need it.

They do not understand the good times or the hard times. They think of things happening without purpose. They do not see His hand at work unless it is solving their own crisis. They think of Him as a fire fighter- unnecessary unless there is a fire. No wonder they only get close to Him during a crisis!

This is a terrible waste of your time if this is the only faith you have. The crisis that you are now in may pass without coming to God. Just wait it out if all you will do is leave God later. Think about it: how would you feel if you had a spouse who only came home when he or she went through bad times and wanted you to bail him or her out? Do you think God is fooled?

You need to see yourself as God's servant if you come to Him during one of your bad times. You need to make a commitment that you will remember so that when the crisis passes you will stay with Him. You need to see the purpose He has for you so that you can understand that you are totally His all the time. 

This will mean that church will start making sense. Going to work will make sense. Time with your family will make sense. Prayer will make sense. In fact, life will make sense.

How long will you settle for what you can make of life when God is willing to give you an abundant life? 

I believe that most of the people reading this blog are going through a crisis right now. You may have just started your journey back to God. Will you stay? 

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