Hearing His Voice #333

[Jesus said,] “Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?”

Luke 6:46

It’s a piercing question that immediately undoes any casual approach to following Jesus. It’s one thing to claim to be a Christian and to believe Christian doctrine, but quite another to follow Jesus and live out His teachings. In other words, there’s a huge difference between calling Jesus Lord and submitting to Him as Lord. The former is very common. The latter . . . well, not so much.

Why do we call Him Lord without always following Him as Lord? Maybe we’re interested in salvation, but not in investing the time and energy it takes to have a relationship with Jesus. Perhaps we expect His lordship over us to be painful or unfulfilling. Or maybe we just haven’t understood who He is—the King of all creation—and as such, His words carry enormous weight. Regardless of the reason, many believers fit easily into cultural Christianity, but are uncomfortable with the radical call of Jesus. That ignores the gravity of His voice.

Imagine God giving you these two options: (1) to live a mediocre existence without too many highs or lows; or (2) to lay it all on the line and experience ultimate joy and rewards along with genuine sacrifices. Which would you choose? Most of us would say we want the second option—to live life to its fullest, in spite of the costs. But that’s exactly the choice God gives us, and most of us tend to opt for average on a daily basis. If it were a one-time, big-picture choice, it might be simpler. We can lay down our lives once and for all. But in each moment of each day? Compromise is so much easier in the small choices.

God is calling you higher. Don’t ignore the gravity of His voice. There’s a great cost to doing what He says, but a greater satisfaction, too. When He speaks, our responses matter.

Lord, You are leading me to lay down my life daily. You say some difficult things, but You also promise unimaginable blessings for doing them. I choose to follow You completely.