Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Is Jesus a "part" of your life or is He your life?

I assume most know of and remember the name Rachel Scott. She was one of the students tragically shot and killed in the Columbine shootings. She was the young lady who reportedly was asked by the gunman "do you still believe in God?" and she answered "yes". Those were her last words. Rachel did not come to faith in that moment. Her diaries she left behind gave testimony of God's work in her life in the weeks/ months before this moment. The reason I bring this up is in the "Extreme Devotion" book that I read from time to time they commented on her story today. I just want to share a few quotes from her and then ask you some of the questions I began asking myself.
"I lost all my friends at school. Now that I've begun to 'walk my talk,' they make fun of me. I am not going to apologize for speaking the name of Jesus. I will take it. If my friends have to become my enemies for me to be with my best friend, Jesus, then that's fine with me. I always knew being a Christian means having enemies, but I never thought that my 'friends' were going to be those enemies."

I don't know why that struck me so hard this morning but it did. I guess in a culture that seems to take commitment to Christ so lightly, it just really begged the question, "Is Jesus just a part of my life or have I (we) come to the place like Rachel that we are ready to follow Christ even when it cost us?" As I was thinking these thoughts I returned to my computer to find an email from Shane and Alicia basically saying we are in the process of getting rid of all our earthly possessions because we can't take them with us to India where God has called us. They are giving up everything that we so often hold onto as security. Now hear me correctly I am not saying we have to get rid of everything we have and lose all of our friends to truly be followers of Christ. This is not some list of things I must do to be a truly devoted follower. This is what I am asking us to think about though: Is Jesus just a part of my life? Do I have a "good" life and I have Jesus as a part of the many good things that is in my life? Or is it true to say Jesus is my life and He is above all that I hold dear and "if" I had to give up or lose friends, family, comfort, wealth, material possessions, popularity, etc to follow Christ I would? Does He mean that much?
"I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything, I will." Rachel Scott

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow. Thanks for sharing! I have heard that story before..it is so sad to thik that something like that would happen here in America. Whenever you think of persecuted Christians you think of Africa, China, or even Japan. But not here...not America. But it happens. Wow.
Hollen