Morning Devotional

January 9, 2004

"Who Do You Love" 

by Don Emmitte

Home

The one who existed from the beginning is the one we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life. This one who is life from God was shown to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and announce to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was shown to us. We are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy will be complete. (1 John 1:1-4 NLT).

A young boy with leukemia is fighting for his life. He is sick and vomiting from high levels of chemotherapy. As he prepares for a bone-marrow transplant, a psychiatrist comes into the room for an interview. Why? Part of her job is to determine if this boy is a worthy recipient. You have it. If the psychiatrist were to determine that this boy, or anyone else, was not a worthy recipient for the treatment, the hospital would have the option of passing on to someone who was worthy of the treatment.

We live in an amazing age. The world is the stage of life. And the actors have authority over life and death. Should this be the case? It depends on your worldview. If you believe we are the products of evolution, then it is the survival of the fittest. And the job of the psychiatrist is to help determine the most fit to receive treatment. It is all quite logical. On the other hand, if you believe God created human beings in His image, the scene changes.

We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. And we are to give to our neighbor the treatment we would desire for ourselves. The criterion for judgment changes when God is in the picture. But, some say, there is evidence for evolution, and there is no evidence for God. Our reading this morning makes a very clear declaration about the reality of God. Beyond that, it is true that Christianity is not a game! The church is not an entertainment center! You don’t go to see a make believe play on a stage. Christianity brings a serious message for a world in need.  

There’s a scene in one of my favorite movies, The American President, when the president is speaking at a press conference about some serious issues and he says: “These are serious times that demand serious people.” There is a lot of truth in that statement for our culture! This is not to say that we cannot enjoy life. Jesus came so that our “joy would be complete.” However, that joy must be rooted in an unshakeable faith in God and a relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the only appropriate basis for decision-making in our lives. That changes every decision we make. It keeps us from acting like we are God and forces us to recognize our limitations without Him. Isn’t it time to stop acting and start doing?