Lord, Lord...

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name & in your name drive out demons & in your name perform many miracles?'  Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!'"
Matthew 7:21-23

I am so blessed to have been raised in a family that is rich in Christian heritage.  My great grand-parents, my grandparents, my parents....all devoted, thoughtful, Spirit-seeking Christians.  For me, this has been such a gift.  I came to my own belief in Christ and all that He has done for me at a very young age.  I renew my commitment to pursuing His will regularly when I feel myself drifting into the currents of this world.  And, yet, as long as I have been a believer, the words in the verses above have haunted me.  I used to ask my grandmother about them.  "If these men believed they were following God and, yet, Christ tells them that He never even knew them, how will I know?  How will I know that someday Christ won't say to me, 'Away from me, you evildoer!'  How terrifying.  My grandmother used to tell me that if I was worried about it, then it probably didn't apply to me.  If I was concerned about being turned away by Christ, then I probably wasn't one of the ones He's addressing here.  I think she gave me a simplified answer because I was a child. Now I am an adult.  And now I see how it can apply to any of us.  I don't think that Christians pay enough attention to these words of warning in Matthew 7, or at least not in the circles I travel.

Christ is my savior.  He saves me daily.  He saved me infinitely when He died in my place and then defeated death.  In doing that, He repaired the connection from me to God, a connection I couldn't do without.  I wake up in the wee hours so often.  I know so many others who do also.  Once our minds get a glimpse of conscienciousness, the wheels start spinning and often can't stop.  A few mornings ago, I awoke in the wee hours yet again, Matthew 7:21-23 floating through my mind.  And again, I wondered, how did these men do things in God's name and yet Christ says He doesn't know them?  How do I know that isn't me too?

And it seems that for the first time in almost 36 years, God gave me an answer.  He gave me the answer I need to check myself & my actions.  I'm not gonna' lie; the answer was a little hard to hear.  I felt that the answer was in the very words of this verse--the words Lord, Lord which are repeated twice.  So, I looked up Lord and according to Merriam-Webster on-line the definition is this:

Lord--one having power & authority over others: a ruler by heredity or preeminence to whom service & obedience are due.

Yup, that sounds like the definition as I've come to understand it.  And certainly God & Christ fit that definition.  Now here it is--the men in Matthew 7:21-23 were calling out to Him, "Lord, Lord," and Christ said He never knew them.  So, had they ever been serving Him or obedient to Him?  Had He ever truly been their Lord?  It doesn't appear so.  If they had been serving Him and obedient to Him, He would have recognized them.  Who were they serving when they were doing things in His name?  Were they serving their pride & their reputation?  Were they serving standards set before them by their culture?  Just because they were doing things in His name doesn't mean they were doing things in His will, in obedience to Him.

Now with that idea solidly tucked in my brain, I looked at myself & my worry over those verses and asked myself again, How do I know I am not just like those men?  How do I know that all I do & say, even in His name, actually means anything?  Well, I call Him Lord, but do I really make Him Lord?  Do I approach Him with reverence as my Lord?  Do I truly serve Him & obey Him with my words and deeds?

My children are tired from the time change and some long days at school & music lessons & sports.  They are whiny, and frustration comes quickly for them.  How do I respond?  Do I respond in way that shows Christ as my Lord?  Do I respond in obedience to Him, guiding my children in their ways, ushering them to Him?  Or do I respond in a way that serves me & my purposes?

I could point to countless situations with myself, my money, my home, my children, my husband, my family, my friends, acquaintances, & even strangers where I blindly ignored God's will.  I may have acted in His name, but His was not actually serving Him.  Sometimes I am serving myself, my own needs or desires.  Sometimes, I am serving standards set by the world or others around me.  I have put myself at risk for being one of those men to whom God will say, "Away from me; I never knew you."  Passion for Christ doesn't equal obedience.  It can lead to obedience, but doesn't make it so.  I know my children love me, but that doesn't mean they care to follow my instructions for them all the time.

So, here I am awake in the wee hours again this morning, forcing myself to really look at whom I serve.  Whom do I call Lord?  Is my Lord my God or do I serve myself?  Is my Lord my God or my children or my home or my friends or the world around me?

Lord, Lord, please let me know you so I understand your will and so that I walk in obedience to it.  You are due my service & obedience.  It's not just a a courtesy I should afford you, but a debt I owe to you because of who you are and all that you have done.  Teach me to seek obedience to you in the big things and little things.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine & puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine & does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand."
Matthew 7:24, 26

"The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.  The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.  The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.  The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.  The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous."
Psalm 19:7-9

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock & my Redeemer."
Psalm 19:14

"I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me."
Psalm 16:7

"Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."
Psalm 9:10