What God has taught me thus far

Today marks more or less the halfway point of my summer. Because I absolutely cram my summer full of awesome stuff God seems to use this season each year to teach me some great truths about Him. This year has been really neat because I feel like their have been two things that really stick out so far. The first is this (I shared this in detail a while back on a Wednesday night if you want to hear my podcast... Centralbaptistbuna.org). As I was saying, the first is this: When I chose to submit my life to Jesus I chose to always say yes. For 16 years of my life as a follower of Jesus I have been so arrogant as to believe that I actually have the choice of whether or not I am going to follow what He wants me to do or not. Now ultimately I do have the choice but really??? Let's review Genesis 1. God spoke and the world was created. God spoke and water was formed. God spoke and land shot up from the ground to form mountains. God spoke and trees were formed. God spoke and each animal was made. God spoke and Adam was given life. In case you are a little slow (like I was for 16 years) God spoke and what was nothing obeyed and became something! Let's continue our review with some Old Testament heroes. God told Abraham to take his family and start walking without knowing where he would end up... And Abraham obeyed. God told Abraham to kill his son and he obeyed. Again God told Abraham to stop before he killed his son and he obeyed. Noah: Noah built the biggest boat the world may have ever seen in the middle of a desert! Why? Because God told him to. Let's continue with Jesus, God in human form. Jesus spoke and Lazerus, who was dead, came back to life. Jesus spoke and the wind and waves (hurricane style) stopped immediately. Jesus spoke and a demon possessed girl was given her life. Jesus spoke and nature, sickness, and even death obeys! (teaching point coming next) And I, the great and mighty Scott Hawk, really think that I have the choice to obey if I want to. I do have a choice but in comparison with who I am answering to do I really have a choice? After all, I said yes to following Jesus. God didn't make me. Let me clarify... I am not talking about this "God will strike me dead if I don't do what he says" fear induced followship of Jesus Christ. I am talking about a right understanding of the holiness and shear awesomeness of God in comparison to me. It's not a "have to" followship but a "want to". So that's kind of a big deal for me because that means I am always (admittedly imperfect) going to say yes to Jesus. I have always said yes when it fit my plan and my comfort zone. But now it's ALWAYS. ALWAYS. Always forgive. Always love. Always be patient. Always speak the truth in love. Say yes when Jesus tells me to give. Yes when He tells me to witness. Yes when He tells me to shut up. Yes when he tells me to pray. Yes when he tells me to stop. Yes when I feel like it and when I don't. I say yes to following Jesus. After all, isn't that what Luke 9:23 is all about? "If anyone wants to follow me he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." The second truth that God is teaching me will have to come tomorrow due to the length of this post.