What are your plans for Christ tomorrow, what have you got in mind for Him to do, you were not just going to leave Him out of your itinerary, were you?
Many people have difficulty with this concept, the notion that servants are to seek the will of their master, and then perform the duties that are expected of them, instead they wait for a clear message from the Lord, for a very specific set of instructions before they will begin the tasks that have been set before them. When that voice is not clear, then the question is relevant that began this letter to you, as you prepare for tomorrow, what plans do you have for Jesus in your life? I can put in perhaps a more coherent way if that will help, or I should say the Scriptures can, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)
Your plans for today, tomorrow, and the rest of your life because of our free will are almost always completely up to you, there are of course some circumstances where this could be debated, but for the most part you have been living the life that you have chosen to live. For the born-again believer, the choices we make are to reflect the attributes of Christ, hence the term “Christ-like,” it does not matter the time of day or where you are at, a married man is to always behave as if he is married, and a Christian is not to put on an act, he is to live his life as he has been commanded to. So then, if our Lord has not given you a very specific, God-centered task today, one that is what we could call an out of the ordinary routine of your day event, what plans do you have for Christ while you go about this business of life.
Too many who profess Christ are unprofitable to the kingdom because they cannot grasp this concept, they attend church, perform the functions required of them while they are there, and then head back out into the world, leaving their responsibilities in the well-worn pew to be picked back up next Sunday. They will go through the entire week with the cares and concerns of the world always at the forefront of their mind, perhaps occasionally asking for assistance when something goes awry, but for the most part, they have things to do and they figure Jesus does too. This one hour a week service to Almighty God knows little of the desire that seeks to lift up the name of Jesus, much less the terminology of the word servant, He wants to go with us everywhere we go, such is the nature of His love for us, yet many have no plans for Him in their life, the repetition of the day is a well-worn path.
These will call on Him when He is needed for something they cannot do themselves, when the unexpected arrives, when trouble is on the horizon, until then, Jesus is left wherever they encountered Him the last time. That, my friends, is why it can be difficult to tell who the Christians are and who they are not, for they do not always have Christ with them, they have made no plans for Him today, they have a life to live, and they will assume the roll next Sunday morning once again. Our Lord has promised to “Be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee,” (Deut. 31:8) can you say the same, He has promised to go through the fire with us, (Isaiah 43:2) and we take Him at His word, can He say the same of you, Jesus is the greatest servant of all, (Matt. 23:11) yet many who call themselves by His name will not allow Him to serve them, they see no reason for His presence in the mundane, and so they go about their business while leaving Him to His, they will call when He is needed, worship is reserved for Sunday morning, praise for His wonderous name is heard in the songs, but not from their heart.
There is a rush to complete the tasks that are set before us each day, the call of the world is almost always heard as immediate and necessary, while Christ waits patiently for us to ask Him to join us on that day’s adventure. But many will not ask Him to come along, many give Him no thought whatsoever at these times, they have a life to live and they are secure in the knowledge of what they need to do in it. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6) One day they will turn to seek Him and He will not be there, they will find that they have been deceiving themselves all along, the brand of Christianity they chose was the incorrect one, their hearts were as far from Him (Matt. 15:8) as their thoughts were.
Many there are that believe themselves to be followers of God because of the religious standards they adhere to, but they are not the sheep that hear His voice, many sing the songs on Sunday only to sing a different tune during the rest of the week, many fall to their knees on Sunday morning, but spend the rest of their lives attempting to stand on their own two feet. If you do not have any plans for Christ today in your life, then exactly what plans have you made that matter?
Some are very good at forsaking the One who said He would never forsake us, some are quite adept at leaving the One who promised never to leave us, one day they will return to the place they call church and find the spot in the pew where they thought Christ sat beside them empty, they will have been left behind. Believe it or not my friends, Jesus does not have anything that He would rather do than spend the entire day with you, perhaps it’s time to start inviting Him to go with you wherever you go.
