Saying And Doing

Saying and Doing

Read: Luke 6:46-49

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

Luke 6:46

“The best measure of a spiritual life is not its ecstasies but its obedience.”

—Oswald Chambers

IN WORD It is a penetrating question. The Lord of all creation has put His finger on the inconsistency that invades all of our hearts. There is always a discrepancy between what we say and what we really believe. For some of us, it is a slight discrepancy; for others it is vast. For all of us, “Lord” has not always meant what it should.

God has a way of testing His lordship in our lives. Just ask Abraham; the excruciating walk up the mountain of Moriah for the sacrifice of his only son, Isaac, was the ultimate test of lordship. Like us, Abraham had known what it was like earlier in his life to mistrust God. This time he passed the test.

Jonah failed his test. Though God exercised His lordship anyway, Jonah was less than cooperative. He had limits to God’s rule in his life, places where he would draw the line on God’s authority. He maintained a little autonomy, holding on to some illusion that he had the right to govern himself. God’s people don’t have that right, nor should we even want it. (It’s a huge burden to try to govern ourselves when we have so little information about our true selves and our future directions.) But, like us, Jonah wanted a measure of independence. He wanted the privilege of being God’s own possession without the responsibility it entails.

IN DEED What would Jesus say about His lordship in your life? Have you set limits on His authority in your affairs? If you have determined aspects of your future by saying, “I would never do that,” or “I would never go there,” then you have placed limits on God. Expect Him to test them. He will always try to stretch you out of your assumption that you are in control of your life.

It is good to have direction. It is not good to have self-direction that dictates where you will allow God to place you or what He will have you do. Discern the difference. Don’t just call Him “Lord.” Make sure you do what He says.