How Serious Are We About Our Faith?

Matthew 5:30

And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

How serious are we about things in our life?  For most of us – if we were more serious – we would be the correct weight for our height and age.  Most of us would rather eat what and when we want rather than be healthy.  Sorry – but that is just the honest truth – isn’t it?  I know – some of us have medical issues – but I’m talking about most of us who are overweight (and don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re in that medical issue list).  How serious are we about things in our life?

I read about a mountain climber who had his arm trapped by a huge boulder one day while climbing by himself.  After days of trying to get his arm loose – he decided that the only way to save his life was to cut off his arm.  He did and lived.  Now that is determination.  Now that is focus and clarity of purpose.  He wanted to live more than he wanted to keep his arm – his right arm at that!  How serious are we about things in our life?

Setting Our Hearts on Christ

Matthew 5:30

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

How serious are we about our walk with Jesus?  I know – that can be a works based question.  Maybe the question should be – how much of our heart does Jesus own and/or control?  Have we allowed Him into every part of our life – every part of our heart?

We often wrestle with motivation.  Paul writes in Philippians 2:5 – Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: and continues to express all that Christ did as a result of his heart or attitude being in right relationship with the Father.  How’s our motivation – attitude?  Are we sold out for Jesus?  Are we on fire for Him?

John writes in his revelation from God: Revelation 3:14-16 – 14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”  God wants us hot for Him.  God wants our attitude to be set like Christ’s attitude.  We also read that God wants our heart: Matthew 6:21 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Where is our heart?  What do we treasure?  Is God first in our life?  Are we willing to deny our self and take up our cross and follow Jesus? Luke 9:23 – Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

We’ve heard the phrase the proof is in the pudding haven’t we?  Well – if our heart is set on Christ – it will be evident by the things we do and the things we don’t do.  The tension between our heart and our actions will begin to lessen the more our heart is set on Christ.  We are not to be obedient to God’s commands because of the fear of punishment – but rather – as an expression of our love for God.  So again I wrote for us to think about – where is our heart?  And how can we set our heart on Christ?

Just something to think about today as you go on your way.  Stay tuned for the series titled Deepening our Faith starting Sunday – August 12^th.

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