Loopholes

 I once read a story about the 1930's comedian W.C. Fields. He was found on the set of one of his movies reading the Bible. Fields was a notorious carouser and drinker, so the one discovering him reading a Bible was truly amazed. "Bill," they inquired, "why in the world are you reading the Bible?" To this, Fields simply replied, "I'm looking for loopholes."

Looking for loopholes. I wonder just how much like Fields you and I really are? Oh, we say we believe His Word, His Truth. We consider ourselves ready to do His will, to be obedient. But when it pierce our hearts, challenges our lives, calls us to change, convicts us of sin, how quick are we to look for "holy loopholes" in order to escape the confrontation? What loopholes do we look for in order to justify our wrongdoing, or for not doing anything at all?

Keith Green, a major figure in the Jesus Movement of the late 60's, wrote a very powerful song titled, "The Sheep And The Goats," referring to Christ's teaching about who and who will not inherit the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus said the Kingdom was for those who truly did the will of God, who ministered to the real needs of those around them, and who saw in these ones, the face of Jesus. Green says everything came down to what "they did, and didn't do." In his singing, he lists some of the reasons, the excuses of those who "didn't do." To me, the most powerful of these was, "Well, Lord, I didn't really feel led." That's a major loophole isn't it? How often have we not acted on something that in our heart we knew was right, that deep down we knew was of Him, but didn't because it was too hard? It demanded too much sacrifice, too much change. Because it called upon us to die to ourselves and our own desires? It was easier to just declare that we didn't feel led in that direction. We didn't have a burden. We didn't feel called. We'd found our loophole. 

Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of My Father." His breath and life was to carry out the will of His Father here on earth. He said that He did only what He saw His Father doing and He didn't do anything else.  In His Word, we see what the Father is doing through His Son. We know what He calls us to....but we have jobs, families, demands upon us. Loopholes. Everywhere around us, He is doing something, and we're to be there with Him, doing it as well. Living, breathing, the will of the Father. It was and is His food and life. But is it ours? Or do we look for loopholes, the reasons why it can't be. Why we don't have a burden, don't feel led, and why we miss, if not heaven, Him. 

Loopholes. How many exist in our lives today. Will they remain open, and if they do, what will be the end for those He sought to send us to? What will be the end for those of us who have sought to hide in our loopholes? I don't want to wait for the day I stand before Him to answer these questions. Do you?

Blessings,
Pastor O