Jesus' Reign: All or Nothing

Jesus once taught me – Just because you hear My voice often, do not think that you’re walking right with Me. I will follow you into your chosen paths until you decide to turn back to Me and I take you home. You must take time to stand and look around, and check if you really are walking with Me, or is it Me following you.

This bit of information had me thinking; there is a difference in me following God and God following me. Often, I tell myself that I’m walking alright because I’m able to hear Jesus nearby. But, it may be Jesus following me, rather than the other way round. Like He said, I must stop and look around to check where I am and if I really am where He wants me to be.

Last December, I was visiting a family, a Christian family. It was past Christmas, but celebrations were still in the air. While we sat praying together, the Lord Jesus spoke to me good words about this family’s faithfulness, and showed me a vision that He stood outside the door of their house. I asked the Lord that when the family was faithful as He said, why He was outside the door. He said – I can give you blessings, show you favor, control some things of your life, but still be outside the door.

I could not understand.

He explained – Jesus is the Lord of your life in direct proportion to the access you give Him in your life. The Lord never barges through doors that would not open for Him. Jesus’ participation in your life is active only in the areas where you give Him access. He wants to actively participate in your life, but we hold the right to allow Him that. We may have invited Him into our lives, but He may yet have limited control and access. We may be willingly or unknowingly in control of our life, our decisions, and our choices; still making decisions our way to satisfy our needs and desires.

The initial invitation to Jesus Christ to be Lord of our life is but a first step. The magnitude of change or transfer of authority and control of our life, that is required, is huge and complete. Its meaning is beyond initial comprehension and to try or to think that it’s done in one go is immature. It is a day-by-day process of giving control of our decisions to Him and let Him take over little by little. It means serving His will and going on by Him, through Him, for Him and unto Him – for His glory alone. It means laying down our will and taking up His will instead.

It is not unlike the conquest of Canaan by the children of Israel. It was struggle after struggle, victory after victory; but unlike Israelites, Jesus is faithful to conquer all of the sinful Canaan of our life and replace with Israel. He will conquer in totality and that is the only acceptable way. He must come in and be the Lord and Master over all or nothing. We cannot make Jesus our Master and then make our choices our way. There is no middle path and no lukewarm response to Jesus’ will.

The moment of decision-making is close, rather it is here. We have seen His works and His faithfulness; now it is our turn to make the one and only decision we ever need to make – to follow Him.

So, yes, just because I hear His voice nearby doesn’t mean I am walking His way. No. I must stop and check regularly that I am following Him and not the other way round. I must check that He is still the Master of my life and not a guest limited to the welcome doormat.