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People need hope more than ever. As followers of Jesus, we have this promise in Colossians 1:27.....CLICK HERE

Saturday-Come Close

 

And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

 

1 Peter 4:18,19

 

Think about the people we want to be close to. What is it that first gets our attention? Is it the way they look? How they talk? The sound of their laugh? Their interests? How they smell? It could be just about anything.

 

But the more important question is what makes us want to stay close? To be near them whether everything is going well or falling apart? In the good times and in bad? If we’re on top of the world or deep in a dark and damp cave? all our lives?

 

As I write these words, I can’t help but think about a wedding. No matter what people think or say, it’s not about the dress. It’s not about the ceremony. It’s not about who to invite. It’s not about the reception and the food. It’s not about who’s invited. It’s not even about the pictures.

 

When it comes to weddings, it’s all about the vows. The promises that the man and woman make to each other. In front of God and people, they say the most serious words that anyone can say.

 

I know that it’s popular to write your own vows, but we choose the traditional vows because they are both beautiful and powerful. There’s no misunderstanding about what you’re committing yourself to. And for how long.

 

Peter’s saying something similar to his readers back in the first century. But instead of being committed and serious when it comes to being married, he’s telling Jesus followers to be serious about their lives with and in front of God. He gives two very important and thoughtful things to remember.

 

  • Commit themselves. When we commit ourselves to God, we’re moving so close that we’re right in front of him. Committing is like taking some money and asking someone to invest it for you. You’re letting go and putting in their hands. Several times in our marriage, Mary Ann and I went away and asked family or friends to take care of our children. We knew that they were going to do a great job of watching over them. Providing for them. Taking care of them. We committed our children to them.

  • Continue to do good. In our world, some people say that there’s no such thing as good or evil. Right or wrong. So, when Peter tells us to do good, then there must be good and bad. There must be a difference. It’s one thing to do something, but it’s something else to do good. When we do good, we’re acting, speaking, and thinking how God does. God is the only one who is good[1], so we need to be more like him each and every day. He must be the center of our lives.

 

When it comes to committing and continuing to do good, they aren’t something you do and then forget about it. We must be constantly and actively committing and continuing to do good. This means that our top priority every day is to be committed to God and continuing to do good. Every hour. Every minute.

 

Think about it this way. When it comes to God, we once were far away. He didn’t move from us; we did all the moving. We were made to be with him forever, but it was our desire to be our own boss that drove us away from him.

 

But God didn’t want us to stay there and he came close to us in Jesus. Our only response to his coming for us, dying for us, must be to be next to him. It’s like the old hymn, “I once was lost but now am found[2]”

 

So, it’s an important question to ask ourselves. How are we doing when it comes to our commitment and continuing? Look at your daily schedule, how you spend your time, and think about your ongoing commitment to God. Is there time that’s set aside for him? To continue building your relationship with him?

 

I know that you know that God is everywhere, but to be committed to him, we need to put ourselves in front of him so that he can speak to us. We have to slow down enough so that we can worship and thank him. There needs to be time for him to point out areas that need change.

 

The natural result of this ongoing commitment will be a deep desire to do good for the people around us. As we see God’s goodness to us, he will inspire and empower us to show his love to others. It’s like the ending of the 1951 movie version of Scrooge where Ebenezer shows kindness to Bob Cratchit. He’s overcome with joy, but at the same time understands that he doesn’t deserve it. Truer words were never spoken when he says, “I don’t deserve it[3].”

 

This, my friends, is exactly where we are. Undeserving of God’s lovingkindness and mercy. And yet, he fully and freely gives himself to us through Jesus. How could we want to do anything but to please the one who loves us so? Who gave himself to pay our eternal debt? And to love our neighbor as ourselves.

 

Noodling Questions

 

  • Do you sense that God wants you to come closer to him? Explain.

  • Describe your commitment to God and how it’s changed over time.

  • How can we better continue to do good?


[1] Mark 10:18

[2] Amazing Grace, John Newton, 1779

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