May 29, 2015
Yesterday I was chided by a dear friend and brother in Christ for not writing and posting my trials and tribulations on Facebook as I normally do each morning. He did so in the most eloquent post imaginable and was truly inspiring and heartfelt as he beckoned me to respond. Without a moments hesitation, I started typing my response in the comment box with a gracious thank you for his confidence in me and his acknowledgement of my absence. Then I began to pen my reasons for not posting and spending time on FB in the last few months, because I’m a newlywed, of course!
Well, no sooner had I typed the word “newlywed,” I literally heard the HolySpirit speak the verse Luke 14:20…”Still another said, I have married a wife, therefore I cannot come.” Oh my goodness. The excuse from one of the men invited to the Great Banquet as to why he was refusing The Masters offer to come. I literally choked on my own words. My pastor, Tim Mills, has been teaching on Luke 14:23 for months and I just tried to offer the same lame excuse to my friend as the man offered to the Master. It was then that I realized, it was the Master speaking to me through my friend. I had become so busy and settled in my new role as wife, that I had forgotten that my number one role was to be servant to the Master.
In Luke 14:23, the Master says to the servant after all the invited guests had refused His invitation, to “Go out into the highways and the byways, and compel them to come in, that My house may be filled.” I could only sit there in horror at the realization that I had, in my own selfishness, neglected to do the work that Jesus has called me to do. To share my testimony with whoever will listen, to be transparent in my ongoing journey to sanctification and to share my trials and tribulations, as well as my thoughts, however right or wrong they may be, with His people.
So here I am, back in my chair at 4:30am, having pulled myself from the warmth of my new husband, to do the work of the Father that He has called me to do. I’m sharing with anyone who will stop to read my post, and hopefully listen, my daily rebuke from my Father through the mouth of a dear brother in Christ. I must say though, his chiding was nothing compared to the rebuke I received from the Lord this morning as I sat down in my chair to read my Bible and receive instruction for the day, and hopefully inspiration for a post. No sooner had I grabbed my Bible, that I heard “Revelation 2.”
My heart sank. I am very familiar with this passage, and slowly turned to the chapter to receive my rebuke. Chapter 2 is a letter to the church of Ephesus that praises them for their faith and good deeds, but at the core, chides them for “forgetting their first love.” Wow. Father really went straight to the heart on this one. He was reminding me through this passage how my love for His people must be paramount in my life if I am to sustain my love and enthusiasm for Him. I realized I had allowed myself to become complacent in my new life and was neglecting my writing, which God sees as my neglecting Him, because it is for the salvation of His people that He has called me to share my salvation with through my daily writings. After I spent considerable time on my face and repented of my deeds, or lack there of, I knew I needed no verse or inspiration for today’s post… I simply needed to share my life, the truth, as ugly as it is sometimes, because whether I like it or not, for now, Facebook is my pulpit.
So there it is. My truth for today is not your average feel good post, a sweet picture with my hubby or my kids, it’s an honest look at what happens when we get complacent. I received a public beckoning that led to a rebuke from the Lord that I have to share with you. What will happen to you if you get complacent? Do you have friends that will call you out?
Do you hear the voice of your Father well enough to hear His beckoning you back before you slip to far into the quicksand of compromise? I certainly hope so. Whatever it takes, whatever God has called you to do, never take it lightly or do it half-heartedly. God calls us to love Him and love His people. Period.
No matter how many Facebook likes you may get, or not.
Tracie Mark
Watchmen On The Pod 