Turning

PK’s Corner                                                                                      June 2013

 

Galatians 1:6 “ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel…”

I believe in God the father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth…, thus starts the Apostle’s Creed, the nutshell statement of our faith as Christians. This is the short form of what we believe as followers of Christ. Yet, we have so many churches and so many in our churches running away from this belief.

Paul was astounded that the church in Galatia was turning from the teachings he and other ministers had taught them.  They were following poor advice about what it meant to be and what was required to become a Christian.  Galatia was being led down a road of false teaching and darkness.  I look at the world today and I wonder if we are any better off.

Today, many churches teach a feel good gospel.  In fact it has become so epidemic that people leave a church because “It had nothing for me”.  I find that rather humorous in a sad way since Christ called us to “pick up our cross and follow me”, not pick up our Latte at the door and enjoy the show.  We are at risk of losing the message of Jesus because we are uncomfortable with what is taught.  We turn from the truth to live in the lies that the world would have us to believe.

Following Christ is about forgetting ourselves, not about comfort.  Following Christ is about putting God first in our lives.  Yes, that means church before entertainment, tithes before bills, and worship before diversions.  God calls us to partake of him, and that means putting God first.  Until God comes first in our lives, our lives will be filled with meaningless trivial activities. 

God puts us first on his to do list.  We are first in his thoughts.  Christ came to earth, not as an afterthought but as a first choice to bring salvation to us.  We need to stop turning away, and start turning to God.

In the coming month, I challenge you to put God first.  Not just in word, but in action.  Be at church every Sunday, schedule your life around worship and prayer, and make God the priority in your worship, praise and life. 

Stop turning away and start turning into the person God has called you to be

Amen.