Gonna Get Mine . . . Gonna Give God His

I was faced with a decision. To me, it wasn't much of a decision at all. I am going to get mine. That's it-- short and to the point. No, I am going to give the Lord His!

With boldness, I asked my employer if I could have church hours off on Sundays and with equal boldness they said no. They told me I was granted every other Sunday off-- a 'compromise.' While 'fair' in some people's eyes . . . to me, I was left wanting more. But more than resentment toward them for not letting me off until 12:30 or 1 p.m.; I focused on how I could get and give what I NEEDED and that was Jesus.

There have been many times I've voluntarily missed church and when I say many I mean MANY, but that was a different season of my life. I've changed. Now, I can't get enough of Him. I pray often, I read the Word every day, I seek Him in the big matters of life and in the small details as well. It's a hunger I've never felt before. More insatiable of a desire than the lust for sex and women that permeated my life for years. More insatiable than any desire I've ever had.

What would I do? What could I do? I mean my hands were tied. If I refused to work on Sundays then I would be fired. Then it dawned on me-- I would go on my lunch break! I'm not sharing this with you to get pats on the back or to get any glory or recognition. I felt compelled to share this because it's AWESOME to see that's not only where I am in life, but it's more importantly WHO I AM and it has nothing to do with being religious or seeming holy, because Lord knows I've been anything but holy at various points of my walk with Christ.

I am going to get mine and I am going to give Him His. What does that mean? I am going to press through the throngs of people just to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. (Luke 8:40-48) I'm not going to let my flesh, my girlfriend, my job, my pain, my anger, my emotions, my feelings or my doubt hold me back. I am not going to let my PAST, especially my past, hold me back from reaching the Way, the Truth and the Life. I look at each one of those as obstacles to keeping me from reaching the destination I know He has for me. I include my girlfriend because it's so easy to let the person, or people, we love the most distract us. It's easy, yet nonetheless dangerous, to let our significant other distract us from what should be our No. 1 pursuit (God). And when we do, we give them lordship over our lives without even realizing it. I've told her many times I want to be her No. 2 biggest fan. NOBODY no matter how much we may try can fill the physiological needs of L.A.W.S. (Love Acceptance Worth and Security) like Jesus. It can be our spouse, our children or other family members. He belongs on the throne of our hearts . . . no one else!

The thing is I KNOW when I touch the hem of His garment . . . that's when my faith will be realized, when the impossible becomes possible, when what others looked at and scoffed at my God says, Piece of cake!' But to me-- getting mine-- is about so much more than just spending time with Him. It's about making sure the people in my life get their's too! I believe I will be married and have children and I honestly believe what greater privilege and honor, as the head of the household, is there than to make sure YOUR house gets their's?!? What's the key? Knowing YOU can't do it, but the key is Christ through you CAN! So simple, yet often overlooked and hidden from view by the enemy.

We often think of a man as the 'provider' yet it's not hard to look around and see the No. 1 provision we should, and are commissioned to, make we entirely neglect. You can make all the money in the world yet if you aren't making sure your wife and kids are getting their spiritual needs met, then you are indeed poor. As for me and my house; we WILL serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15) and no matter how much $$ we have; we will be rich in the things that matter! Praying with, and over, your wife, saying your prayers with, and over, your children, even worshiping together are all essential to not giving the devil a foothold to infiltrate your home. If you give him a place; He WILL destroy it.

It's YOUR territory . . . it's your turf . . . it's your ground-- DEFEND IT!

Gonna Give Him His

Our walks with the Lord are about so much more than blessings. Yet many seek God's hand instead of His face. He is NOT Santa Claus. Are blessings nice? Of course-- it shows God has heard your prayers and has provided things you have asked, but shouldn't we be more consumed with wanting to BLESS HIM vs. getting BLESSED? Jesus died on the cross for us, so honestly if He never does anything else for us, don't worry He WILL, the rest of our lives; Has he not already done more than we deserve?

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

That's what church is about to me. It's me giving Him what he so rightly deserves! For new life (salvation), for waking me up this morning, for my health, for my family, for my job, for my gifts, for my talents, for my money and possessions I praise Him! But I praise and I worship Him also for who He is!! I praise Him for being faithful, for being loving, for always having my best interests at heart even when I can't see how He's possibly working it for His good. I praise Him for His very nature. He is GREAT . . . no matter our circumstances, the adversity and hardship in our lives or the pain we feel. He is bigger!!

Rushing to be in God's house for 45 minutes, in my work clothes and hat, wasn't about drawing attention to myself . . . it was about ALL those times when it came to me making sure I got mine in terms of satisfying my flesh. It was about all the times I made sure I gave the Devil his. No I was never a 'devil worshiper,' but I sure have, with my actions, worshiped the devil. Why else did Jesus say you can't serve two masters? To serve is to pledge your allegiance to in any relationship. It's giving a part of yourself to the entity you are doing acts of service for.

When I set out to get drunk; I got mine. When I set out to get high; I got mine. When I set out to meet my physical needs, which led to acts of sexual perversion; I made sure I got mine, so NOW I will make sure Almighty God gets His in my life!

We have largely become such an ungrateful people; there seems to be only a remnant of believers who don't have amnesia. Have you forgotten what He snatched you out of? The place Jesus delivered you from? I know I haven't. I am instantly brought to tears when I think of how I have treated Him and how He not only loved me through it, but how He loved me enough to pursue me and once I let Him catch me how He loved me like I had never left!!

Me? I know I'm a sinner. But I also know my 'old man' is no more! (2nd Cor. 5:17) I know in Christ there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). God not only has blotted out my trangressions, my sins, He remembers them NO MORE (Isaiah 43:25). He has separated my sin as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) and casts them down onto the bottom of the ocean floor (Micah 7:19) and if my God does ALL those things . . . then the very least I can do is.

GIVE HIM HIS!