I Warned You!

So has it happened yet? Has Francis stepped on your toes? Has he offended your delicate Baptist beliefs yet? Well, sister, if he hasn’t, then you haven’t read far enough! Tonight at church I’ll be sporting a sturdy pair of steel-toed boots!! Ouch!

Francis has many statements that bruise my toes, but they make me think and stretch me at the same time. I talked about one yesterday. Rejoice in the Lord always! When we’re not doing this because of worry and stress we’re not obeying God. I hadn’t looked at the verse in Phil. 4 in that light before. That stretching sound you hear is my view being broadened!

But this morning, as I read chapter three, I think Francis must be the one wearing the steel-toed boots as he marched across my toes! Double ouch. He asked a very tough question. “The best things in life are gifts from the One who steadfastly loves us. But an important question to ask ourselves is this: Are we in love with God or just His stuff?” See what I mean?

Now many you may not struggle with this question, but as I thought my love for God it bothered me. Someone once told me I could check my love for God by comparing it to the love I have for my spouse. Ask yourself, do I long to spend time with God like I do my spouse? Do I devote as much time to God as I do to my spouse? Who do I put first, God or my spouse? Tough questions.

If God never gave you another thing; if he took your health and wealth, would you still love him? Job comes to mind. Look at all God allowed Satan to take from him yet Job still loved God through it all. Amazing faith and love is what Job had for God.

You may not know this about me, I’m a movie buff. I love movies. One of my favorites is Facing the Giants. In it the coach’s wife wants a child more than anything. They prayed and tried, but she didn’t conceive. They were tested and discovered that the coach was the problem. He asked her, “If God never gives us with a baby will you still love Him?” It was a struggle for her. The pain of that question was obvious. After going to the doctor for the third time that year and being told she wasn’t pregnant again, she bowed her head and told the Lord that yes, she would still love Him. Somebody pass me a tissue!

So Francis has thrown out this tough question. “Are we in love with God or just His stuff?” I think the answer lies with your relationship with God. Job’s relationship with God was solid and secure.

“And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” Job 1:8-11

God described Job as a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil. A mature Christian. Satan thought that Job’s love for God was due to God’s blessing in Job’s life. But it wasn’t. With all that Satan took from Job, he still loved God.

That’s the type of love for God I want to strive for. How about you?