As followers of Christ we need to admit that it is quite easy for us to be content with lukewarm Christianity. We never have to be inconvenienced, or stray too far from what it is that we want. Often we allow Jesus access to the areas of our life that we desire to be cleaned up so they are more appealing to others and ourselves. But when it comes to allowing God access to every area of life, we quickly put on the brakes. Francis Chan writes, “Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives.” (Crazy Love, p. 72)
Jesus’ encounter with the rich man described in Matthew 19:16-22 should serve as a stunning wake up call to those who see Jesus as something to believe in rather than a person to be believed. The rich man appeared on the surface to have everything it took to be a follower of Jesus. The one area that he could not turn over, was the one that made all the difference. When Jesus asked the man to turn over control of his wealth the man went away “sorrowful,” because he had lots of stuff. He simply didn't want to lose control of his stuff.
The call of following Christ is a call to relinquish control. Not just control over the areas of morality that we ascribe to, but control over every area of our lives. When we are in love, we don’t mind sharing everything we have with the one we are in love with. If we truly love God, giving control over every area of our lives should be our response. Taking inventory of whom or what controls our time, money, and thoughts is a good indicator of our love for God. What does your inventory reveal about how in love with God you are?
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