Thought for Today

Numbers 18:6 It is I who now take your brother Levites from among the Israelites; they are now yours as a gift, dedicated to the LORD, to perform the service of the tent of meeting.

Psalm 86:2 Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God;  

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

2 Timothy 2:21 All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work.

Several times recently, in worship and in general conversation, I have had occasion to talk about one of my favorite Greek words, ἅγιος (hagios). My lexicon tells me it is “the quality of persons or things that can be brought near or into God’s presence, holy.” (Friberg, Analytical Greek Lexicon) Suggested alternative English words include dedicated and sacred. Another way of capturing that idea is to speak of something or someone as being committed to God.

As I thought about that, I recalled a humorous example I heard long ago in some now-forgotten seminar on motivation. The example offered to explain the difference between being involved in something and being committed to something is a breakfast of ham (or bacon) and eggs. The chicken was involved in the breakfast; the pig was committed to the breakfast.

Those verses above speak to being dedicated to God and being devoted to God. I did not find a verse using our English word committed in the sense of dedication. But, I cannot help but wonder whether in our lives of faith we are the chickens or the pigs. When Jesus referenced the animal kingdom for metaphors he used sheep and goats. Pigs would not have been very useful metaphors because of the dietary restrictions in the Mosaic Law.

Are we committed to our faith, to our Christianity? Or, are we merely involved with our Christianity? Hopefully none of us will be demanded the level of commitment as was the pig. Although, the history of our faith is replete with examples of those who were. One of my favorite stories is that of the Christian martyred bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp. “Polycarp . . . was a Christian bishop; of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body.” (en.wikipedia.org) For me, his story is most important for what he is reported to have said on the day of his death, “Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior? You threaten me with a fire that burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched, but you are ignorant of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked.” (en.wikipedia.org) Even when offered the chance to go free, Polycarp was committed to his faith, his belief in Jesus, the Christ.

Am I committed? Or, am I merely involved? I have never been tested to the extent which Polycarp faced. My life, my existence has never been directly threatened because of my faith. I hope and pray that it never will be. All Christians, throughout time and space, are however, called to swim upstream against the currents of the societies in which we live.

We are entering into the season of the year where we are often most challenged by the reality, the truth of "No one can serve two masters . . . You cannot serve God and wealth.” Is the ‘reason for the season’ the joy of anticipating the birth of our Savior? Or, is the ‘reason for the season’ the search for the perfect gift to give, the perfect party to host, the perfect decorations for the home or office. Is this a season of commercial enterprise, focused on meeting our annual sales goals? Or, is this a season to offer thanks that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son?

We will be asked on many occasions this season whether our faith is a matter of involvement or commitment. Is the true reason for this season the race to see how many new and different presents there are under the best decorated tree? Or, is the true reason the wonder and joy of the babe in the manger.

I am not a Scrooge. There will be presents under our tree. But, throughout this season, I will be constantly reminded of the magnitude of God’s love, the extent to which our Creator God went to bring me back into the fold.

Stay safe, be committed to the God who loves us, trust God,

Pastor Ray