“It seems to me,” I said to Stan one morning, “that the word, ‘Lord,’ can tend to be overused.”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.
“Well,” I replied, “I have a friend from church who I do quite a lot of things with, and he uses ‘Lord’ in reference to Jesus in just about everything in his life.”
“And you think that’s a bad thing?” Stan asked.
“Not bad,” I said, “just confusing when what he says doesn’t match what he does.”
“Oh,” Stan replied, “I get it. Jesus also got it where it’s recorded in Luke’s gospel that He asked His disciples why they called Him ‘Lord,’ but didn’t do what He said.”
“Jesus said that?” I asked.
“Sure did,” Stan replied, “and I specifically remember how jolted I was the first time I read that. It almost knocked me off my chair!”
“How so?”
“When I read that Jesus asked that question of the disciples He was with at the time, He was in essence asking me the same question. And I didn’t have a very good answer.”
Continuing, he added, “When by faith I accepted God’s free and gracious gift of salvation and redemption through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, there was no question that I had accepted Him as Savior and Redeemer, but Jesus’ question was starring me in the face: was He Lord?”
“And what was the answer?” I asked.
“The answer,” Stan replied, “changed forever how I address Jesus. I cannot call Him ‘Lord’ if that is not what He is in every aspect of my life. And I’m kidding myself if I go around calling Him ‘Lord,’ but am not living a life of obedience.”
“Sounds to me,” I commented, “that calling Jesus Lord and being right in doing so is kind of like what discipleship is all about.”
“Tell me what you mean,” Stan replied.
“Well, if I don’t deny myself, and if I don’t take up what God has for me to take up, and if I don’t follow Him wherever He wants to lead, it doesn’t seem that I’m treating Him very much as ‘Lord’.”
_______________________________
Bible verses to consider:
And why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46.
Not every one who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21.
And He (Jesus) was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you sent your only begotten Son to be my Savior and Redeemer. Thank you for those who brought me to the truth of salvation so that I can look forward to spending eternity with you when it’s time. I confess that too often I do not go beyond accepting Jesus as Savior and Redeemer, that I merely call Him ‘Lord,” without truly making Him Lord of every aspect of my life. Please forgive me. And please help me in following your lead in being able to truly call Him “Lord” because that is what He is in my life. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in His name. Amen.
Think on this: Is Jesus your Savior and Redeemer because you have accepted by faith God’s free and gracious gift of salvation and redemption? If no, why? What is keeping you from taking that essential step? If you do have the assurance of salvation, knowing you will spend eternity in God’s presence when it’s time, how are you doing with Jesus being Lord in your life? You may have heard the expression, “Lord of all, or not Lord at all.” How does that apply to you? If you sense changes may be in order, how are those changes going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 