I recently had the privilege of showing a young mother the practicality of God’s ways and wisdom. I had about an hour to help her look at what she was doing in her response to life that was burning her out. She went back to some of my coworkers and was reported to say, “Another hour with Dr. Bell and I MIGHT HAVE become a Christian.”

Paul was witnessing to king Agrippa who said, “Almost thou hast persuaded me to be a Christian”

Paul saw that ALMOST was not enough and said “I would that you were not only ALMOST but ALTOGETHER a Christian.

When we were homeschooling our children, I noticed that they would often seek to get by with the least possible. People raise their hands saying that they want abundant life, joy, peace, love, happiness. They want to serve God and minister to others. They brag about the ministries their church is doing, then they are ALMOST on fire, ALMOST committed, but don’t show up to help or pray.

How is it I can SEE the needs in myself and others, I care about them, I INTEND to do something but:

I put starting off till later

Start but put all my effort into one trivial pursuit, intending to get to the others later

Start but my effort is minimal

Start and work hard but then wear out and quit. Having put my hand to the plow I look back.

I look at FULL obedience and say “That sure is hard, it can’t possibly work, I’m not worthy or skilled enough, no one will respond, I could look foolish, what will friends family and coworkers think of me? I might lose my friends, God always gets his way anyways and doesn’t need my participation to get it done so “God use someone else, why don’t you?” Like Moses, “send someone else.”

If you recall FAITH is obeying God when I have all of the above feelings but ,since he died for me, it would be only fair for me to give him my all even when overwhelmed. Besides I understand that his ways have to be better than my alternative ways.

Lord help me not be an ALMOST person but be a TOTAL SURRENDER and an I’M ALL IN “Here am I send me” person.

Remember: the impossible for me, with GRACE–is no sweat and God gives GRACE to the humble. If I am focused on “What’s the least that I can get by with?” then the whole thing is without GRACE and even easy things will overwhelm.