Abandoned?

3/12/2020                                                                                                                                        
Mark 10:28 “Then Peter began to say unto Him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed Thee.”

Today, Chambers advises the faithful to beware of selfish abandonment to God, or wanting instead of giving. He says it is like a “commercial spirit”, one of consumerism, where what we desire from God is more important than a relationship with and devotion to Him. It can also be a showy kind of abandonment, where piety is the focus. We also may start concentrating on other people’s approval, which oftentimes leads to either a watered down faith or a self-righteous one. What all these have in common is putting yourself first. Chambers illustrates it this way: “No, Lord, I don’t want Thee, I want myself; but I want myself clean and filled with the Holy Ghost; I want to be put in Thy showroom and be able to say—This is what God has done for me.”

We should never give ourselves to God with an expectation of getting something. True abandonment to God should be a one way street that no self-interest or barrier in this life should impede. Chambers says, “Beware of stopping short of abandonment to God. Most of us know abandonment in vision only.”

So, am I fully abandoned to my Lord? Sadly no. I am, as always, a work in progress.