Here's an excerpt from a recent guest post to another blog:
The most furious longing, the most ravenous jealousy, the most tenacious pursuit is that of God’s longing, jealousy, and pursuit for lost sheep. Put your hand to God’s chest, soon you will discover how His heart beats. In thunderous palpitations His heart screams so loud it breaks: boom boom “Seek and save the lost… seek and save the lost…” Come close enough to the fire of God’s heart and all at once He may consume you with the same ravenous desire. Soon the blood transfusion you had with Jesus takes its toll on your desires and priorities – His sense of urgency overwhelms you, His mission consumes you, His passion melts you. And then, in booming rejoinder the palpitations of your heart begin to march to the same beat: “Seek and save the lost… Seek and save the lost.”
I’ve seen it happen to the most unsuspecting hearts. It happened to me.
My heart began to break. I got a little too close to God and His longing for the lost hit my heart like a branding iron. Red-hot jealousy on once-calloused-now-raw flesh. The call of The Great Commission became as urgent as the clarion calls of air-raid sirens at midnight. Time to wake up.
Sometimes it twists in my stomach, my spirit lurches and heaves over the task. So much to do, so little time. How is it that after 2,000 years of active evangelism over 2.5 billion still haven't heard the Name Jesus? These are the hard-to-reach peoples of the world. Children of the 10/40 window. Daughters of the desert. Sons of the shadow. Living under an iron curtain of spiritual darkness and estranged in a far-off country with none to rescue.
I suppose it's time I circle back to the question: "What will I do with Jesus?" Suffocate Him under the weight of cultural normality? Muzzle Him so that I won't offend anyone? Perhaps I will listen to Him when it suits me. Or perhaps I will just leave Him be. I don't pet Lions and I don't gallivant into foreign wars. It's much safer if I leave Jesus at the dinner table - that way He'll bless my food... a spiritual butler with no commanding force upon my life. God forbid He ask me to serve Him.
The truth is that any response other than "Here am I, send me" is unworthy of Him. I heard it once said that this is the language fit for the King: "Yes Your Majesty, King Jesus." That's it. Nothing less will do. To do anything with Jesus other than bow to His Lordship and advance His Kingdom is to make His cross no cross at all... a valueless relic, a powerless symbol of some nice idea.
What will you do with Jesus?
We can exaggerate many things, but we can never exaggerate our obligation to Jesus.
- A.W. Tozer
