I was listening to my friend talk the other night. She was talking about her new found desire to serve the Lord because of recent blessings He had provided to her and her determination to dedicate Sunday to being His. Hearing her talk made me happy for her in the sense that she had decided to follow God and was zealous in her will to be successful doing so. I am almost ashamed to admit it but I must confess that our conversation made me think of me more than anything else.

I remember the days (that were not so long ago) that I bargained with God. If he would do something for me, then I would see it only fair that I gave up part of my life to Him. If he would only get me over this hill then I would conquer one myself and force myself to read my Bible or go to a church service more regularly. The sad part is that I would actually be proud of myself if I read the Bible for a couple of weeks (more like days) or if I forced myself to go to a church service knowing that I had spent the night in a bar or club the night before or was going to one right after church. To read the words that I have just written makes me sick today to think that I was that person. I can only be thankful that God didn't require anything of us before he made His sacrifice. Could you imagine if it had been different?

What if God had made requirements of us in order to receive salvation. What if he said we had to live perfect lives before we could go to Heaven? Which one of us would be eligible then? What if God was as fickle with us as we are with Him? I love you today God, but depending on how you handle this situation that I am facing, I am not sure how I will feel tomorrow. Could you possibly imagine, I love you today child, but depending on how you act tomorrow, it might change the way I feel about you. It sounds silly when we imagine those words coming FROM Gods mouth. So then why should it not sound even more silly when we realize that we are saying those words TO God?

Along the same lines I was embarrassing myself to remember telling God how I would serve him. I will go to church once in a while and will most likely pray for people when they are sick but I have issues with witnessing to people. You will have to find someone else for that part of the job. It sounds stupid, I know. And I am sure that I am the only one in the world that has ever experienced this because no one else could have ever lost their mind to this extent. Who am I to tell God, who by the way (in case you forgot) made me, the world I live in and everything I need to survive in it, that I will only serve Him certain ways?!?

Lets put our imaginations back to work to see just how silly this really is. What if Jesus drew lines on how He would save us. I didn't mind coming to earth in the human form. I didn't mind traveling and teaching, healing the sick, delivering the possessed, and raising the dead. But the whole crown of thorns thing, and then the crucifixion part--I am not sure about that--you may have to find someone else for the job. What would that have meant to you and I? Knowing history now and what those events have meant to the entire world, it sounds ridiculous to imagine Jesus saying such a thing.

I would guess that God allowed me to remember these things and picture these imaginary scenarios to teach me a lesson. How much more did God and His Son Jesus do for me than He is asking me to do for Him? Who am I to tell him that I will only love him if things go my way if he is there offering His love to me unconditionally? Who am I to tell Him how I will serve Him, if He didn't tell me how He would save me? Instead he went through with Gods plan knowing it would cost Him His life.

God is calling a new generation that will help usher in the returning Kingdom of God. I am not talking about a age generation but a Christian generation. He is looking for a people who are willing to sacrifice all they have, who are not offering bargains, or drawing up terms of service. He has already done that--he sacrificed His life to get you the bargain of Eternal life in exchange for your service on His terms. He is looking for a people that will take up their cross on a daily basis and be the empty vessel He needs to accomplish His plan. He will never ask for more than we can give and what is it in your life that is more important than the Kingdom of God that is keeping you from giving everything? If you have an answer to that question, other than nothing, tell yourself an imaginary story like I did and you will realize just how silly it sounds to let anything stand in the way of you giving your all to Him the way He did for you. And what is your all compared to His?


Mike Aguilar, November 2001