Pick a lane
Why you cannot be neutral regarding Jesus Christ
Do you remember times as a child when a game would start and the inevitable question was asked: “Hey – are you playing or not?” Simple question: “Are you in or are you sitting out?
This same question is asked regarding your relationship with Christ. Are you submitted to Christ and living in His power and authority, or are you choosing against him? Why, after 2000 years, does the mention of His name still evoke either positive or negative response in people? Today, with all our technology and knowledge, the mandate Jesus gave His disciples in Matt 10:8 still transpires across the globe: In the name of Jesus broken bodies are still healed, people are still set free from demonic oppression and even the dead are still raised! In our so-called sophisticated world, the reality of a spiritual dimension to life is often conveniently ignored, until the evidence of it intrudes into your personal comfort zone. Whether you believe it or not, there is a battle for your soul in the spiritual world; God desires to be in a love relationship with you based on your choice, and satan wants to destroy you.
You are loved
The apostle John explains in 1 John 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us”, and in 1 Joh 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins“. Throughout the Bible, we see that God designed human beings to reflect His very character, to be like Him. (Gen 5:1)
The more intelligent a person is, the greater the responsibility to identify and acknowledge truth when you see it. Sometimes we mentally recognize truth, yet we don’t commit to it, as that would require aligning ourselves with the requirements of that truth. Our unwillingness to acknowledge truth does not in any way alter the truth. All it does is keep us from understanding and experiencing it.
Satan, the father of lies and master deceiver, leads you to believe you will lose your life when you commit it to God, lose your ability to decide for yourself and carve out your own destiny. Truth is, you can only step into your God-given destiny once you acknowledge the One who created you with this purpose in mind.
I’m not suggesting that you won’t experience levels of success in different areas of your life without Christ. I’m rather referring to experiencing life with impact, fulfilment and peace, understanding your purpose and living in it. I’m referring to experiencing God in your heart, responding to His love and guidance; getting up in the morning with a song in your heart and a purpose bigger than yourself
Rev 12:9 describes satan well: “…the serpent of old who is called the devil and satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Contrary to popular belief, God and satan are not equal opposites. In fact, in relation to God satan is a minute being with little authority except that which we give him. How do we do that? Being the deceiver and the father of lies – it follows that when we believe a lie, we empower satan in that area of our lives and we give him dominion in that area. Let’s make it practical: When you believe the lie that you will never really amount to anything great, that gives him authority in that area of your life and unless you repent of that and allow God’s truth to replace that- that will be your reality.
In John 8:32 we read: “And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].” (AMP). Although this refers to salvation, the principle can be applied to any area of our lives. The Passion Translation says it like this: “ 32 For if you embrace the truth, it will release true freedom into your lives.” Satan’s biggest weapon is lying. He uses past experiences, words of others, absent or abusive fathers or husbands, rejection or any negative situation to get you to believe negative things about God, yourself and others. He uses every disappointment in your life to convince you that God is not good and that serving him does not pay in the end. Think about an absent dad. The enemy whispered to you from a young age that you are not worth spending time with, that your life is not important. Being made in the image of God, we all know that our lives can and should matter, and therefore you rebelled! But you didn’t rebel against the lie of satan. He convinced you that it’s God’s fault. So you carved a picture of God in your mind, based on the mistakes and shortcomings of significant people in your life.
Renew your thinking
This is why the Bible teaches us in Rom 12:2 to wash our minds with the truth of God’s word. As by His words He created the world, His words bring life in our lives when we embrace it, speak it and live it. I’m not suggesting for one moment that we are merely puppets being handled by either God or Satan. Far from it, God created us with the desire to have a meaningful relationship with Him, which implies a decision on our part to choose to love Him. “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP)
The Bible Scholar William Barcley said: “Responsibility is the other side of privilege.” If you have the privilege of being born with a keen mathematical mind, there is a certain responsibility on you to develop that and contribute towards society in that area. Maybe as a child, you wanted to impact people, change the world, develop effective systems or products, but satan has used disappointment to convince you you make no difference. The Word of God alone can replace that lie with His truth. He says you are called, uniquely formed, you matter and you can still make a difference! “We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfil the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One.” Eph 2:10 (TPT)
It’s not too late
It’s never too late to respond to God’s love and to start walking in the destiny He planned for you. If we think of great philanthropists, every success we can ascribe to them is based on principles that God set out in His Word. Think of anyone you want to use as an example of someone who did it without God – the very thing which you admire in them is a value of the Kingdom of God. Giving, loving, forgiving, encouraging, caring for orphans, distributing food among the poor, hosting education programs for those with no opportunities…
Let’s forget religion for a moment and rather focus on cultivating a meaningful relationship; first with your Creator, then your family, then the people in your sphere of influence.
Equip yourself by studying the Bible, praying, joining a Bible-believing church, serving in your area of expertise and start enjoying the life Jesus promised, abundant life!
Passivity is not neutrality- it’s a decision against.
