Everyone has a lord, Some have the Savior, Few have Both

Christmas is just around the corner. This is pretty exciting for most people. For me, well it is, I suppose a fun time of the year but I just don’t seem to get into it like others. I guess that should be obvious because my wife calls me a bona fide Grinch. If you knew my background you would understand why I don’t get into it like some do.

Since we are talking about Christmas, can I tell you what bugs me the most about this season? The busyness of it all. Actually if the truth be told I am not a big fan of busyness no matter what time of the year it is. When I was a teenager I used to examine carefully the lives of Christian men who I knew. To be honest I was looking for a great role model and a mentor. As I looked around there were some great guys who were sincere about their faith. However, each of these guys had one thing in common that turned me off. They were too busy with life. I remember making a sort of mental commitment to myself, that I would live a simple life, and never get that busy. I am not sure how well I have kept that commitment but I am still trying.

I look around me at American Culture and think to myself it is no wonder that America is quickly turning into a nation that has forgotten about God. People are so blessed over here with opportunity for wealth that it has consumed us. People have become so distracted with life and things that they don’t even realize they need a savior. It has to be one of Satan’s favorite tactics, and it is working especially well in societies with access to wealth.

Christ talks so much about money and I am learning why. People literally are so distracted by things and the busyness that it creates that they never are able to recognize that they have a need and even a desire for something more, something that is not finite. You see these people already have a Lord, their Lord is things, money or wealth. They wouldn’t even recognize it in themselves if you told them that. To them the process and busyness of accumulating and keeping things or wealth is just their way of life. What these people need then is the Savior. In fact I bet that if those people were not so distracted they would even recognize that they have a desire for the Savior.

The sad part of all this for the church is that many who claim to be Disciples of Christ are often not much different. The big difference here is that those who claim to be disicples of Christ but are distracted by things and the busyness of life have the Savior but their savior isn't their Lord. These people may even be sincere in their faith but they never will become sold out to Jesus, because He is only their savior and not their Lord. They don't have the time or energy to make Jesus their Lord. Likewise, these people seldom will recognize or admit this about themselves even if they are told face to face. I am not sure what God will do with these people when it is time for the heavenly role call. Are they considered part of the Luke-Warm crowd who Christ said He will spit out. . . I don't know?

Then there are those people who have the Savior as Lord of their lives. These people understand that the Christian life goes beyond just being saved. Being saved is just the beginning of a long and awesome journey with Jesus. Accumulation of things to them is not a goal or focus. Rather, their focus is people. The live life carefully, not filling their time up with trivial things, so that they always have time for people.

My challenge to people for this season is to take a serious look at your life. Are you so busy that you don't have time to make Christ Lord? Are you so busy and distracted that you don't even think about the eternal things? Are there things you need to stop in order to make time for people, in order to allow Christ to be Lord?

Matt 6:24
No one can serve two masters . Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Matt 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.