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When I was a kid, because of the power of commercials, I had to eat a bowl of Wheaties before every single Little League Game. I didn’t eat them because they tasted good because it was like eating cardboard covered with milk. I ate them because some advertising agency sold me the bill of goods that even when Henry Aaron didn’t partake in the “Breakfast of Champions,” he was going to come up empty in the batter’s box. Now you and I both know that I could have had Sugar Pops or Maypo Oatmeal and neither would have guaranteed me to hit for the cycle, but we people have a tendency to look for short cuts rather than train ourselves in the gifts that God has given us so we are ready to get out there when the Umpire shouts, “Play Ball!”

I’m convinced that this could be such a fruitful time for Christians if we would just be available to surrender our talents to God so He can use us. There are days that I am concerned that more Believers are looking to sit on the bench rather than hoping to get out on the field and show this world what we got!  Do you understand how gifted God has made us? Every single human being was created in the image of God and He never made anyone who didn’t have the capacity to shine their light so bright our culture would forget the darkness altogether!

 Are you daily using your God-given gifts to serve Him and others? Do you know what your God-given gifts are? Are you attempting to serve the Lord without loving Him first? In the Bible, the “Great Commandment” comes before the “Great Commission.” Loving God comes first and it stirs up a genuine love in us for others so much so that we are ready to do, go and be anything Jesus wants! When we get our priorities backwards, we treat privileges like they were nothing more than obligations. Are you viewing your faith in God as if it was nothing more than a religious checklist of tedious things to do?

When our faith was brand new and our love for the Lord was in its infancy, nobody had to tell us to read our Bible or go to church or tell others about Him. We couldn’t get enough of this relationship that literally transformed our hearts. But over time, we begin to take advantage of what God meant for us to celebrate.

Remember when your kids were young and they wanted to do things with you? But sooner or later, they act like they are doing you a favor by just being seen in public with them. They no longer appreciate your efforts to enjoy life by just being together. Let’s say that you had two tickets to this past year’s Super Bowl and the chance to see the Eagles beat the Patriots. You know the value of this opportunity and you share it with an individual you hand picked because you wanted to convey to them how special they are to you. You get to the big game and the first thing your companion asks is, “How long are we going to have to be at this thing? I want to go shopping at the Mall of America. I have to catch an early plane tomorrow; can we leave early?” I think you get the idea. You would be hurt. You would be at the very least disappointed. What you meant as a privilege, your comrade only saw as an inconvenience. Do we ever make God feel the same way? I would say that we do–and way too often.  

It is time for us to stop just going to Church and start being the Church! What position in Jesus are you totally plugged into? Are you looking for some action or just another excuse to go on the disabled list? If you want to obey the will of God, you must not get in the way of God. The Holy Spirit provides the power that nothing any grocery store item can provide. Church isn’t a restaurant where we go to pick up a meal cooked to order. Church is a place where Brothers and Sisters in Christ encourage one another to love the Lord by humbly walking side by side as we serve the Savior. Who is He calling to do nothing today? Can you hear Jesus say to us, “Surrender to the enemies in your culture?” “If you can’t beat them, just learn how to fit in rather than make waves.”

“Don’t get better, stay bitter!” “Why be free when you can be a fraud and wear a man-made mask to hide from others knowing the real you?” Do you see God as a monster or as the ultimate Minister who will give you everything you need to see your past redeemed so that you can do some miraculous field work both today and tomorrow?

Today is a day when you need to move towards God so God can move in and through you. On the Cross, Jesus picked a fight with sin and hell on our behalf. Because of the Cross, you can experience the ultimate concert of praise where God has given you the ability to live a life in a state that is beyond your wildest imagination. You don’t do ______ and there will be no ________! Let God fill in this blank so your spiritual walk doesn’t come up empty.