Written by Paul Washer
I am hesitant to use this type of language with you because I am afraid that you will misinterpret. To most Christians, the admonition to “follow after God” conjurers up thoughts of duty, obedience, and ministry, but these things by themselves will only leave you tired, hollow, and bitter. I have been down that road and I will do everything in my power to keep you from it. It leads to a horrid place!
When I speak of following Him, I am primarily referring to fellowship with His person; to acknowledge Him and share with Him every experience; to purpose not to hide from Him or shut Him out of some area of your life; to see everything as sacred and nothing as secular; for Him to have preeminence in every moment of your life, every thought in that head of yours, every word that proceeds from your mouth, and every work that you endeavor to do - walking, talking, eating, drinking, laughing, crying, working, playing - experiencing all of it in Him, through Him, for Him, and most of all WITH Him!
Do you realize that you can do almost anything for all the wrong reasons. You can do ministry for the personal satisfaction or fame it may bring. You can even grow in knowledge and piety for the reputation they may reap for you among other believers. But it is the true and loyal heart that seeks only to be with Him for the sake of being with Him!
I know you look upon me as a godly man who has learned many things, but I have been so wrong in so many ways, and this has been my greatest error. I have always pressed hard to accomplish something, when I should have pressed hard just to be with Him! Yes, my dear young Christian, you can even waste precious drops of your life in the work of ministry and missions!
Remember this: To confine God to a quiet time is grotesque, to reduce discipleship to only obedience is pathetic, and to make ministry into something other than Christ’s life flowing through your intimate relationship with Him is to make it nothing more than a stupid work of the flesh.
No comments:
Post a Comment