Father help us to practise Christianity in our lives.
In the last study we looked at how God had made some wonderful promises to Abram, changing his name to Abraham, giving him a son, promising the land of Israel to him and his descendants forever. But was he really worthy of it?
Too often we tend to think that we deserve something, as some sort of wages, when in fact what we deserve is not what we want. What we have been given, is a gift from God, not because we have earned it. As such we should share the 'gifts' God has given us, because they are actually God's.
Remembering that everything is God's is very important. The New Testament chapter that we often refer to when thinking about faith is Hebrews chapter 11, and it's another example from that chapter that I want to quickly think about. Job was a very rich man, he had everything he could ever want, but God took it away from him. He wanted to test his faith, to see if he relied on his wealth more than his God. His example is important to us.
Abraham was tested in a similar way. God had promised everything through Isaac his son, but when God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice he intended to do exactly as God wanted. With hindsight it is easy to think “God will raise Isaac if he dies, because he was promised descendants through him” or “God will stop me”.
But when these things happen we don't stop to think like that. A lot of training involves making people 'react' in certain situations. I used to do regular First Aid courses. In the early years it was listen to a few lectures, watch a few videos and tie a few bandages. This didn't really have much benefit, as the first time any First Aider was involved in an incident all they classroom theory went out of their head. More recently they had 'interruptions' where an injured person would call at reception and ask for help. Some where very realistic and the first time one happened while I was there I wasn't sure if it was real or not. When we react to certain situations, the chemicals in our blood can make thinking very difficult as the body is focussing on survival responses and using a totally different part of the brain. If anyone can use their higher brain in such situations they've either been in that position quite a few times before (or they need psychiatric help).
We learn best when we do something 'for real' and often this requires it to be done over and over again. I think Abraham responded a way that he had practised all his life; he wanted to do what God wanted.
While Abraham didn't loose his wealth or health like Job did, want he had to do was harder. Job just had to endure, Abraham had to do something that was the last thing he would ever want to do.
So how does this affect us?
It comes down to practise. When learn to drive a car we don't just sit down, put it in first and say “that's gear changing sorted, what's next?” We have to do it over and over again, until we can do it without looking. The same with breaking. I remember the day I passed my driving test. I was only a few years older than you and was on my way to visit a friend, the first time I had ever driven solo, and a car came round a bend on the wrong side of the road. I did an emergency stop and remember going through the routine afterwards in my head even after I had stopped. My reactions had taken over and my brain was way behind.
The same applies to our life. It's not for nothing that it is called 'practising Christianity'. Just like with First Aid, if we limit our Christian lives to just the Sunday in a nice cosy Church or at home we won't react properly. Abraham did what he needed to do and that made him worthy of the promises. Jesus is going to come back soon and we may have to do 'an emergency stop' or at least a 'dynamic manoeuvre'. Hopefully we've all being practising!!
Can you remember what are 'the wages of sin'? But what is the gift that God can give?
If something is God's, is it right if he wants to take it away?
Can you find (or think of an example) where we are instructed to share?
How can we 'practise Christianity'?