REFL RE FLEC FL ECTI EC TION TI ON REFLECTION
A foot in both camps Lyn Woods highlights the challenge of putting God first in our lives
H
OW many of us have tried to live a Spirit-filled life of obedience, while still indulging in the material, financial and physical trappings of this world? I know I have. At the same time as striving to please God and achieve holy living I have wrestled with all the unsettling feelings that having a foot in both camps brings. It took me far longer than it should have to be convicted of the truth that it is not only unsustainable as a Christian but also completely against God’s will. That is not to say that we shouldn’t strive to be the best possible version of ourselves or to be successful in our endeavours and enjoy the wonderful things life has to offer. But when our choices and activities are worldly or sinful or become our main focus as idols placed ahead of our one true God, or if our gifts are not used in the furtherance of his Kingdom, there emerges a real problem. In the Old Testament the early prophets spoke many times on this important matter. Elijah stood before the people and asked, ‘How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!’ (1 Kings 18:21 New Living Translation). The sin of the people had not been in rejecting the Lord but in trying to combine worship of him with worship of Baal, the Canaanite god. But worship of
the Lord left no room for other gods. The people needed to be aware that continually switching from one side to the other was not right or in keeping with God’s commandments. They had a choice to make. Which camp were they in – the Lord’s or Baal’s? In Matthew 6:24, Jesus makes a similar challenge in connection with material possessions. He tells the crowd: ‘No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money’ (NLT). Later, Paul tells the Christians at Corinth that they cannot worship the Lord and still take part in the pagan festivities of their former lives: ‘You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s table and at the table of demons, too’ (1 Corinthians 10:21 NLT). This doesn’t mean that a life lived according to God’s will – with our tent pitched firmly in his camp – will be bland or devoid of good things. Quite the opposite. Jesus promises that his followers will have life in all its fullness: ‘My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life’ (John 10:10 NLT). There is real danger in having a foot in both camps. It can negatively impact our spiritual lives by lessening our devotion to God and our willingness to obey him
in all things. Our double-standards can also affect the people around us – our witness can be compromised, because actions speak louder than words, and we can find ourselves unable to see and respond to the needs of others. May God guide us through his Holy Spirit to keep our feet firmly in the Lord’s camp. Breathe on me, breath of God, Fill me with life anew, That I may love what thou dost love And do what thou wouldst do. Breathe on me, breath of God, Until my heart is pure, Until with thee I will one will To do and to endure. Breathe on me, breath of God, Till I am wholly thine. Until this earthly part of me Glows with thy fire divine. Breathe on me, breath of God, So shall I never die, But live with thee the perfect life Of thine eternity. (SASB 294) LYN WOODS Editorial Assistant Salvationist
Salvationist 9 July 2022
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