Ignoring God

The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.

This was a part of my reading this morning and the severity of the phrase hit me - they paid no attention.
We as Christians in North America have a tendency to take the things of Scripture that we like and apply them to our selves. We like being "saved" because we won't be going to hell. We go to Church because that's what a good Christian does. We even read our Bibles; we have done our duty. But do we know Christ and what He requires of us.

For the past year the Lord has been emphasizing in different ways Who He is and who I am. He is the One, True, Eternal God, the Great Redeemer of mankind. I am the weak, sinful, lost one who has no right to demand anything from Him. I keep forgetting.

When Christ called His disciples, He said, "Take up your cross and follow me," and NOT "Follow me and I will bless you abundantly!" Don't get me wrong - Christ does bless. He blesses in ways that I could never imagine. He has promised every spiritual blessing according to Ephesians 1. But that's not how or why I am to follow. I am to take up my cross and follow Him."

When He told His disciples that, He had not died on the cross yet. But the disciples were familiar with crucifixion. It was a normal thing during the Roman Empire. They knew that taking up a cross could lead to only one thing death.

And that's why Christ is calling us. We need to die. Die to this world. Die to the things around us. Die to ourselves and to our selfish desires and wants. There is nothing good in us, so why would we want to keep ourselves alive?

It's very easy for me to look at some of my friends and think they are not living for Christ. They go on cruises and have all these nice things and are constantly "moving up" in the world. It's very easy for me to judge them and their hearts by what I see. Am I right or wrong about them? It doesn't matter. Christ's concern is with ME and how I am dealing with things.

I need to die to self; I need to take up my cross and follow Him. My problem is I don't fully believe that. Because if I did believe it I wouldn't hold onto things that are not beneficial to my walk with Christ. I'm not saying these things are sinful, BUT they are things that distract me from the mind of Christ.

I find it so easy to get caught up in playing games. I'm serious; I love computer games. I can spend hours going from one game to the next. Are they bad for me? Noooo. But I get lost in them and can play and play and play.

What Christ is showing me is what consumes my time is my idol. Unfortunately, it's me. And yielding to Him, learning more of Him, asking Him, "What would You have me do, Lord?" moment by moment of the day, is all that He requires.

I may be hearing Christ, but the big question is, AM I PAYING ATTENTION?