Can God Depend On You?
Dearly beloved, I bring you greetings in the name that is above every other name, Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God and our soon coming King. Welcome to the month of August, a month of God’s grace, power, glory, honor, a month of goodnews, you shall surely testify in the name of Jesus.
Last week in service, I taught on “keep the fire burning” and I want to tow the same line in this article. As we climax the age unfortunately, you will begin to observe that the love for self would gradually increase to the extent that people would slow down in their commitment to the things of God. Today I want to ask you a few questions. Please be very honest with yourself. What is your driving force for service to God? Is it convenience or conviction? Can God truly depend on you to serve Him whether it is convenient or not?
Some people serve God only when it is convenient. They say to themselves, I will serve God when the going is good. I will serveGod as long as the testimonies keep rolling in. I call such people fair-weather Christians. Another group of fair weather Christians, are those who serve God just to solve a challenge in their lives. When praying for a spouse, a job, child or business breakthrough, they are ready to do anything, even keep vigils every single night in a week, but the moment they get the answer, off they go. Is it not an irony that the blessing they were praying for becomes the reason why they are no longer available to God? You hear things like, it is because of the demands of the job or the child cries ever so often so I cannot leave him/her, so I stay back. You also hear those in business tell you how the business meetings they scheduled, clashed with the assignment that they have in church and guess which one gives way, the church.
“… Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing…” 2 Samuel 24:24 (KJV)
Beloved, if you are in this category, I come today to encourage you to make a U-turn for the better. Like I always say, God does not want fair-weather Christians you are either for Him or against Him, You cannot sit on the fence. You either serve God totally and unreservedly or you forget it. Learn from David, he got an offer to sacrifice to God but he looked at the offer and said, “I will not offer to God that which will cost me nothing”. Beloved, your service to God must go beyond convenience, or else it is not acceptable.
The kingdom of God is not a game of convenience, somebody paid the price with His own blood. It is not something you play with, with a kid’s glove, it is serious business. God is calling every believer to a life of sacrifice. I challenge you today to go out of your way to serve God with all you heart, whether it is convenient or not. He deserves the best because He gave you His best, Jesus. The question you should ask yourself sincerely is, how much do I really love Him?
Remember that the scriptures say in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.’’ Child of God, there is no way you can demonstrate love without giving something. When God was to show us how much he loved us, he gave His only Son to die for our sins. Thank God for this great love otherwise, where would you be today? In the same way, God wants you to spread His love to the world. If you truly love Jesus, then show it. Show it in your service to Him. Show it in evangelism. Show it as you lead your group. Show it in your relationship with your fellow G12 centre members. Many times we pay lip serve to loving God, we claim to love God but we do not show His love to those around us. You cannot say you love God, if you do not show His love to your world.
Think of it, when last did you go through your wardrobe to look for very good clothes to bless someone with? When last did you enter a boutique to get a gift for someone who cannot afford it? During festive periods, do you ever think of how to ensure another family has a meal on their table? Are you just consumed with yourself me, mine and I? Your love for God is also evident in your worship. When we talk about worship, I am not talking about singing slowly. The quality of your worship in songs, in offerings, in tithes all goes to show how much you love God. You cannot claim to love God and keep your money away from Him. No, your love for God must be total.
As I close, I encourage you to take a moment and think about the question today, how much do you love God and are you demonstrating this love? How much are you willing to sacrifice just to show you love Him? If there are areas that indict you, make amends today and love Him totally and completely. Be that individual that God can depend on. As you do that, He will certainly come through for you. I bless you.
Maranatha!
In His Royal Service
Dr Mike Okonkwo
The Presiding Bishop
