I was reading “Forgotten God” last night, and Francis Chan made some observations about the character of God … He was saying how we should be looking at what we are hearing God ask from us. Basically he reminded us that it is totally within God’s character to ask us for everything! (Abraham comes to mind…) As I read this I was struck, and here’s why:

If I say I know God, and yet am living as if He is not asking or requiring anything of me, do I know the true God? If it is a common aspect of God’s character to ask his disciples to give up everything (literally, everything) and yet this does not represent my life, then am I really a disciple? I mean a true disciple? Am I more like someone who just really likes the things Jesus says? Maybe I’m more interested in being a part of a church that I find fits my wants and needs…

I believe we all need to evaluate what God is actually saying in our lives, versus what we wish He would say to us. “God certainly isn’t calling me to sell everything and give to the poor. He wouldn’t do that.” (oh really?????) “I’m not called to drop my life in America and become a full time missionary.” (are you sure???) “God wants me to be happy and comfortable.” (Happy? yes. comfortable? Not in the sense that you mean.) It’s so easy to put words in God’s mouth so that we never have to hear Him speak. We just get to enjoy our comfortable idea of faith and a relationship with Him instead of what He truly desires.

I would take what Chan said, but add this:

It is totally within God’s character to ask us for everything. It is NOT in His character to ask us for nothing, or even the equivalent of “nothing!”

If we aren’t hearing what God is asking us to give up, then we had better sit up and find out! We must be in line with the character of God so that we may be in right relationship with Him always! Otherwise, we are in danger of becoming a fence-rider or a “lukewarm” christian…

Remember the widow who went to the temple and gave the two small copper coins? I have seen the type of coins she gave and believe me if someone hadn’t told me they had value, I would never have looked at them twice. They are ridiculously small and insignificant. But that’s just it! God isn’t asking for us to give on a merit system established by the world He is asking us to be willing to give up everything we have, even if it’s what we live off of! To be willing to make that kind of sacrifice, to not even have a thought of holding back is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. We must depend wholly on Him for that kind of strength!

God, may I live with such abandon to myself.