2 Lessons from a Young Boy – Part 1

Most people in this region of the country are familiar with Christianity and have had exposure to the Bible. It might be less than in previous generations, but still the majority have probably stepped foot in a church. And here’s where the danger lies: Exposure, and even agreement, doesn’t automatically equal life change. I was in church for 18 years and never realized there was more to God than “God is love and everyone who behaves goes to heaven.” Being a good person seemed good enough.Fast forward several years and not only did I learn that I can never be good enough (uh-oh), but also that I don’t have to be (phew!). Salvation is actually a gift. If I’m willing to humble myself and ask the Lord to save me, He will.[bctt tweet="Exposure, and even agreement, doesn’t equal life change."]However, as much as that gift is free for me, somehow over time, I found myself accidentally reverting to the mindset of proving myself to be good enough. The performance-based monster inside my mind can be hard to silence, if you know what I mean!In my priority time this morning, I came across a familiar story that shined the spotlight on two simple but powerful truths that help mute my annoying, performance-based mantra. I hope they’ll do the same for you. The backstory…Do you remember Hannah? She was barren and desperately wanted children. She told the Lord that if He gave her a son, she would commit her son to serving Him all the days of his life. Sure enough, God gives her a son and as soon as he is weaned, Hannah delivers her son to the priest where he’ll grow up serving the Lord.My daughter was in church the week after she was born. Not because I was that spiritual, but because after having a second child in 19 months, I was desperate to get out of the house! I digress… Samuel took a little bit longer to get there, but when he came, he moved in and stayed. Samuel could legitimately say, “I was at church every time the doors were open.” 1 Samuel 3:3 even states that Samuel was sleeping where the Ark of God was.It was at this time when the Lord began to call Samuel’s name. Samuel hears his name and mistakenly thinks it’s Eli the priest who’s sleeping nearby. After checking in with Eli and disrupting his sleep three times, the Bible explains the problem in 1 Samuel 3:7.

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

Fortunately, Eli realizes what’s going on and tells Samuel the next time he hears his name being called, he should respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.”I’m not sure if you already caught it… but Samuel literally spent every day in that temple and he “did not yet know the Lord.” Being in church is a fantastic thing, but what’s life changing is when the Lord reveals Himself to you. If you go to church but always feel like there must be something more, there is likely something more. He has you there to encounter Him.[bctt tweet="The Lord is the initiator. Our job is to be listening."]Notice the one who initiates the “something more.” It’s the Lord! It wasn’t Samuel’s job. It would be the Lord who would reveal who He was to Samuel.Do you have a family member or friend who desperately needs the Lord? Do you feel like you’re trying to perform to make the Lord happy? Take a deep breath… the Lord is the initiator. Our job is to be listening.Check back next Tuesday for Part 2…