I drove home tonight with music playing on my radio, my sunroof open, and 3 sleeping children in the back. I pulled up in the drive and looked up to catch a glimpse of the deep, dark, sky with stars shining ever so softly all above me. It took me back to the times I would drive home with music playing on my radio, my convertible top down, and no one in the backseat. :) I have always felt like I can talk to God easier when I look up at a starry sky at night. It's like I feel a little closer to heaven in those moments like I can feel Him looking down on me...
So I felt like I heard His voice in that moment; (it's one of the first moments I have actually stopped to listen to Him in awhile). I think He was asking me what kinds of things I would give up for Him. Now you may laugh at this, but the first thing that popped into my head was my iPhone. Ha! Would I give up my iPhone? You have no idea how many times a week my husband or I ask the question, "what did we do before we had an iPhone??" The next thing I thought of was my house. Would I give up my house? Then I looked over at my sleeping son. He was so beautiful and innocent looking. Would I give up my son? I immediately thought of Abraham and Isaac and how God asked him to sacrifice his only son. Abraham was going to do as God asked of him even though he knew that God had promised He would give him nations from his son Isaac. "By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son." Hebrews 11:17
Man! I never understood this passage as a kid. How could God ask that of him? To kill his one and only son?!? He needed to see that Abraham was willing to put Him before anything. That he would risk it all to come follow Him. Just like Jesus and the rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to basically, make it into heaven. Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give all the money to the poor, and "come follow me". (Mark 10:17-31) He couldn't do it.
So as God is asking me these things in this moment in time, I am asking myself, would I do it? Am I willing to 'sacrifice' everything I have to "come follow Him"? It is a really hard question to ask oneself. Especially when you go down the list of all the things that are really important to you. Would I give up my husband for Him? This life is truly just a fleeting moment in the big picture of eternity. I really do want to stop and listen more often. And I want to be like Abraham, not the rich young man who couldn't give up his things for Jesus. Remember, because of Abraham's obedience, God spared Isaac and kept His promise to make nations out of his offspring.
What have you given up to follow Jesus? Do you feel you like you need to/want to give anything up to follow Him?
