In a time when it seems that the world outside of Christianity has more to offer then the one inside of the walls of a Holy covenant with the Creator. Why do we continue in this strenuous battle to be saved, to save others and to daily but our best foot forward in an attempt to live close to the Word of our father as we can. What is it that makes us wake up day after day and not throw in the towel?
If we were to be honest with ourselves, then we would see that we can be a selfish, greedy, prideful people. We drive in our 2005 Toyota Corollas and covet the Jaguar that just drove by us. We walk around Malls and city streets with our iPhones and Blackberry's and lust after the person’s phone that is walking in front of us, because it is “the newest model”. And we are driven to make the next agenda on our list to quench that burning desire inside of us. Yet we gather together in our churches and small group and say we are willing to give everything up for the name of Christ. So again I ask, why do we really continue in this world of Christianity? What makes us wake up day after day and not throw in the towel?
We see people living without the Creator and it seems that they are prosperous and that they are “living the life”. It would appear that they have no issues, no problems. They have money, family, social status, health. All the things that most humans desire, and to add insult to injury, THEY DID IT ALL WITH OUT THE CREATOR. And still there are those that follow the Creator, that devote their lives to His teaching and His commands, that drive vehicles that are literally falling apart, barely have enough money to buy a burger off the dollar menu at McDonald's, whose family is in turmoil and whose health is deteriorating. Yet if you ask them to give up the life they have in exchange for money, fame, health and an “easier” life, they would look you in the eyes and sincerely and wholeheartedly refuse.
We look in the Bible and we find reports of all those who where beating and murdered for following the Creator and spreading His teaching. We read their stories of how badly and horrendously they were tortured, beat and ridiculed. How some were forced to watch as their family members were murdered one by one in front of them. And how when it came time for them to stand before their murders, after watching the ones they loved brutally killed, they would choose to die over giving up their love for the Creator. What is it that allows Christians to choose their love for the Creator, even when face to face with the people that are about to end the very life that they have lived for Him?
I have been in many conversations that end up with the parties involved asking this very question. WHY? Why do we keep doing what we are doing? Why do we keep believing what we are believing? In those moments when I’ve been in the presence of those questions or even when I have asked myself the same questions in a more solitary environment, I think of one thing. JESUS.
Every time I here the name Jesus, and read of what he did. I ask myself, WHY, why did he come to this planet? Why did he live a life as a mere man? He was there in the beginning, when there was nothing, and there at the end of the seven days when there was everything. He was in a place that we as humans can only begin to imagine, a place where he was worshiped continually. Yet he gave it all up, he left it all behind to come to a place where he would be ridiculed, beaten, his skin ripped from his body, a place where he would be murdered. Why would he leave Heaven and its entire splendor, to come to the dirty, filthy, greedy, selfish, petty, prideful realm of mankind?
Why would Jesus do this……because we NEEDED him to. We were on a road that lead to destruction, the bridge was out and we couldn’t stop the train in time. The Creator knew that we were unable to save ourselves, so he sent his only son to come and save us. Jesus came to mankind, died and resurrected and in doing so created a new bridge for us to pass over. You see we were all heading for hell, for we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That is why Jesus came and died for us, He loved us to much to sit there and do nothing.
So why do we wake up every day and not throw in the towel? Why have saints since the beginning of the church given their lives to follow and spread the teaching of the Creator? Because those that are still on a train to hell NEED us to. We love them to much to sit back and do NOTHING!
