Published by admin on 27 Feb 2009 at 01:25 pm
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
This morning upon waking up, I took a few minutes to think about what needs to be done today. Even before my morning coffee, it came to me there are choices we make every day that pretty much determine what kind of day we will have. People say life is pretty complicated and getting more so every day. I humbly disagree. To everything there are two choices: like the sign on the wall in Mom’s kitchen, “There are two things on the menu: take it or leave it“, and it doesn’t get any simpler than that.
You can wake up dreading the day before it even starts, and guess what? Something will happen that will make you wish you had stayed in bed. Never fails. Or you can wake up looking forward to the day, anticipating something good is about to happen, and you’re on an adventure to find it. And you will. I don’t know why that is, but it just works that way, and we don’t necessarily have to know how something works to know that it does.
Take your car for example. Do you understand every system that goes to work when you put your car key in the ignition and turn it? Do you know that putting the key in the lock raises and lowers tumblers within the lock and allows them to align properly to allow the lock to turn within a cylinder? And turning that lock moves contacts within a switch that connects the car’s battery with the electrical system to power up the gauges, fuel pump, computer, ignition and starter? Again, two choices come into play; start the car and go somewhere, or leave it turned off and parked and go nowhere.
You see, getting into the car in the first place indicated you made a choice to go somewhere, but it doesn’t stop there. The car has to cooperate, or else you stay home. If the car for some reason doesn’t start, you’re faced with another choice, just give up and stay home, or else come up with another plan. You may decide to fix the car, or you may decide to get into another car if you have one. All day long you are faced with choices, even if you don’t consciously think about it, and the sum of those choices make or break your day.
Now, let’s start applying those truths to spiritual matters. Not everyone has a relationship with God, and they have two options, take it or leave it. There is no middle ground with many things, and a relationship with God is certainly one of them. It is either yes they do, or no, they don’t. And even if they do, it doesn’t mean they are walking in all that relationship can be, because of choices they have or have not made. There are many variables at work here, and I’m only able to touch on a few today. Being you are reading this, let’s make YOU the subject here to keep things simple.
Assuming you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you’ve made the “take it or leave it” decision to “take it”. Now what? If you’re like most people, you believe in the “hereafter”, and you’re here after all you can get out of life. And that’s good! Nobody wants to live a ho-hum, boring existence. But did you know your relationship with God can be so alive, so exciting that you wake up each day looking forward to what the Lord has in store for you? Yes it can, but like I said before, it’s your choice, take it or leave it.
On the other hand, you can live a life of doing your daily tasks, and trying to find some time to squeeze a quick prayer or a church attendance into your busy week. Maybe that will make you feel somewhat satisfied that you will escape hell for your efforts, but you’re missing the joy of the relationship. And without that relationship, you’re just living a hollow existence. And sooner or later, it will be like finding a beautifully wrapped Christmas present under your tree, and you rip it open with excitement, only to find the box is empty. That’s when reality sets in. You see, the choices you make today, right now, will determine your future. What’s in it for you?
Well, first off, we will all “take it or leave it”, and depending on your choice, here’s what you stand to “take or leave”. For starters, let’s look at the long-term. When people apply for a new job, the first thing they want to know about is the “benefits”, so let’s have a look-see. God’s retirement plan is the best in the industry, with full medical benefits in the here-and-now. How do I know that? Simple: Psalm 103:2-3 says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.”
That means first off, if your sins are forgiven, you can forget about ever going to hell, and secondly, you can forget about ever being sick the rest of your life.. “Oh boy! That’s a tall order”, you might be saying right about now, because everyone gets sick at times. Uhhhhh, sorry, no they don’t. I don’t get sick since I received Jesus as Lord, because when I read that verse I was faced with a choice just like you are right now, to “take it or leave it”. I chose to take it!
When faced with the choice to try to go it on my own strength in this world, I chose to instead rely on His strength. When faced with stress and cares and worry, instead I chose to cast all my cares upon Jesus. Indeed I did both here, I took it all to Jesus, and I left it there, so I guess you could say in this case you can “take it AND leave it”.
Before this day is over, you will have the opportunity to draw upon your own strength, or draw upon the strength of the One who never gets tired, never gets worn down, who never gets worried, or has a bad day. You can draw upon your own resources which may be dwindling low, or you can draw upon the One who is NOT in recession, who is NOT going broke, and His cupboard is not going empty. His peace is enduring, while our peace may be but for a moment. You can draw upon His healing, and stay well, or you can listen to everyone else and get sick like they do.
As I said before, there is no middle ground, and whether you want to or not, you will choose one way or the other, and the life you are living right now reflects those choices you have made in the past. The question now is, looking back; have your choices been correct, or could you use some improvement in your life?
After all, it’s “take it or leave it”, you really CAN have it all. So which will you do?
Jennifer on 23 Oct 2009 at 10:07 am #
This is a another good teaching for me Pastor Jerry. I have been reading your newsletters and really digging into God’s Word on healing for several weeks now. I am doing my best to believe unto receiving and asking the Lord to help me in any unbelief I might have. With the Lord’s help, I am fighting and pressing on to see the symptoms leave for good. It is a very tough fight and one I put my full armour of God on to fight each day. I believe that the healing has already been done by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. I believe his Word is perfect and true and there is no flaw in it. Therefore, the flaw must be with me. I am not sure why it hasn’t happened for me yet, but I press on to victory! Is there something he still needs to teach me first? I don’t know but I will not give up believing for what is already mine and your newsletters are a great source of encouragement and strength for me. God bless you!
Jennifer