Just Courage

I got this as a free audio from http://www.christianaudio.com/. It was wonderful and is a good compliment to The Hole In Our Gospel. If you liked that book, then this is just as good, but only 1/3rd the time to go through. This audio was a little over 3 hrs, while The Hole In Our Gospel was a little over 10 hrs.

This talks about living life out of our comfort zone. It takes courage. He goes through his own process of leaving the corporate/government world to start IJM (International Justice Ministries), which helps the poor with legal assistance.

One story he talks about is the rich young ruler that would not give up all that he has to follow Jesus. He related this story to the common person. The story says that Jesus greatly loved this man and this man loved Jesus, lived a pretty good life with making good decisions. We might deem this person a very good person. But, when Jesus asked him to sell all he had to follow Jesus, the man realizing he had so much said that was too much of a sacrifice and would not do it. He went away sad, missing out the blessings Jesus wanted to give him.

Haugen points out that though we may not be rich or a ruler, just as a person, are we willing to give up all that we have, where we are, our comforts, to do what Jesus tells us to? Will you sell all you have? Give up your job? and the list goes on. Certainly God doesn't call everyone to sell all they have or give up their jobs, but if He did, would you?

What if He asked you to venture into something you are way uncomfortable with? What if all you had was a stick, like Moses, or a little oil like the woman who was about to sell her sons to pay her debts? God doesn't ask us when a host of things happen and we are prepared. When He calls, He calls and do we have the courage to drop all we have to obey right then and there?

I felt very convicted listening to this audio as I think of my own situation, my own pity party, thinking what I have is not enough.

God isn't telling me to obey when my whole financial situation is alright or I have my total character act together. He calls me now in what I have, even if financially it's not very much. Come as you are. With that, there are no excuses.

If you want to be challenged in your thoughts of why you're not obeying, this is a good short audio to listen carefully to. Like Nike says, "Just do it." God would rather we obey than sacrifice. How often we'd rather sacrifice than obey.