Thanks, but...

  You've been invited to an elegant, dress up in one's finery sumptuous dinner party. Pleased and excited, as you enter the parlor you see many people you know. Waiters are bustling around serving plates of hors d'oeuvres. After milling and chatting with others and enjoying appetizers, you leave the party and go home. What’s with this? You haven’t gone in to dinner yet, you stopped before it began! Did you even pay your respects to the host?

  Before you think I’m balmy, think about this scene... is this what we do to the Lord? Do we stay for the beginning (salvation) and then depart before we’ve even seen the sumptuous feast (abundant life) prepared for the guests? Why? Why would anyone do this? Is there a concern about what would be required from you, that you would have to reciprocate and you know you don’t have the means or ability to do this? Or maybe you think that going further would exact an accounting from you? Perhaps if you don’t know then you can’t be held responsible for what you didn't do?

  There are all sorts of reasons we don’t continue and discover all the Lord has for us. But, you've been invited! You have the opportunity to grow in your relationship with the Lord! The feast has already been prepared and it is waiting. And most important - it's for you! You have been adopted into the family of God (Ephesians 1:5) and you are now a joint heir with Jesus. (Romans 8:17) Why do we stop now?

  Sometimes we stop because we don't know and we don't know because we don't read His word. And sometimes we stop because we are afraid to grow. Let's face it, we all like to be comfortable but being a Christian requires us to relinquish this comfort for the sake of our brothers and sisters. But we also know that He won’t leave us, He will equip us for what He asks us to do – all He really asks is that we be available and study to show ourselves an approved workman of the Lord  (2 Timothy 2:17). Never forget His words that He has plans for good for us and that we are His workmanship created for good works (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10). Don’t stop short...