by David Brenneman
A song of praise starts out with a question...is your all on the altar?
We often don't think about where our all is going, who's getting it, or for how long they'll or it'll have it.
But daily something or someone is getting our all.
Colossians 3:23-24 says "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."
In Proverbs 3:5-11 we're told this: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof,"
Jesus said this about your all:
"And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”" Matthew 22:37-40.
It's a sobering thought to consider your all.
Do you waste your all? Squander your all? Is your all going towards the will of God for you in Christ or is it honestly going down the drain?
We wastefully spend in this country and around the world. The whole of the business world is by and large service related to cause people to have to perpetuate needing to continuously buy because nothing is built to last nor do doctors try to cure anything. These things consume our all in trying to keep up. And within this all we get burdened with paying extra to fix those things in life to seek a peaceful life.
When the world is working towards consuming so much it makes it all the while so much harder to spend time with Jesus.
In your life you need to choose Christ as well as to say no to the world if Christ is going to get your all.
You have to take a firm hold of training in righteousness if you are going to truly give your all to Jesus.
It means saying no a whole lot more often than you do my Dear Reader.
There's things fighting for your all.
There's stuff that's just that...stuff...that really has no place in a life that belongs to God in Christ Jesus.
In my life there's been times when, realistically speaking, the Spirit says this or that must go. That it's in conflict with whatever God has in mind, has prepared, for me to be involved with or to be doing.
There's emotional triggers attached to things that He's purged from my life to make room for more fruitful things to grow in me.
We are probably the most tempted generation since the days of Noah to be swayed from doing what's right in the sight of God vs doing whatever is right in our own eyes.
We are a generation that is wrapped up in sensationalism. If it feels good you must pursue it. If it's causing you emotional discomfort treat it and avoid it at all costs.
There's a war going on for your mind.
A life in Christ doing whatever is right in His eyes vs a life that's bent on selfishness. One or the other gets our all.
I have seen it written that you should live by your commitments not your intentions.
The path to Hell is paved with good intentions. It's also paved with good deeds done not for God but for self.
So who is getting your all?
Who do you give your all to?
Who do you have to give your all to?
Work n family consume a lot of our all.
Priorities for a Christian ought to be God, Spouse then everything else.
Sadly many many people are sucked into handing over their all to useless things that do nothing to help their calling in Christ.
Some are unavoidable. Some certainly are.
So where does your time go? Who's getting the time you have been given today? How much of all of your time goes towards your training in righteousness? How much of it literally is getting flushed down the toilet?
Jesus said that wherever your treasure is there your heart will be also.
If what you value is more important than what God's wanting of you, don't expect it to last.
Something or someone is getting our all. It's on us to be diligent in our pursuit of righteousness in Christ Jesus.
A professional athlete turns away from things that will deter them from the prize, the trophy, that they seek.
If you aren't being intentional in your life with Jesus you're squandering your life.
Look at your priorities and your wasteful spending of time, energy and efforts...re-evaluate your life in light of the purpose and calling that you have in Christ.
Something or Someone has your all...make sure it's the RIGHT someone and something.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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