A man took his car to an auto mechanic for repairs. “How much will it cost for the repairs?” he asked.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” responded the mechanic. “Just give me a signed check. Leave the amount blank, and I will fill it in when I am finished!”
Would YOU give him a signed check? Probably not, unless you know and trust the mechanic – or you have an unlimited supply of money in your bank account!
Usually, we want to know exactly what is to be done and what it will cost before we agree to pay for some service.
Consider the following scenario…
A woman once asked a preacher, “Will you please tell me what true consecration is?” Holding out a blank sheet of paper, the preacher replied, “True consecration is signing your name at the bottom of the blank sheet, and letting God fill in the rest as He wills.”
For many, this would be even more alarming than giving an unfamiliar mechanic a blank check for car repairs!
But “signing our name at the bottom and letting God fill in the details” really gets to the heart of what true consecration is all about.
Tom Moore shares this insight: “All too often, many are unwilling to assume this attitude. Many seem to want to ‘write their own ticket’ in life and then beg God to sign it. Instead of seeking earnestly to fashion their lives after God’s way, many seek to fashion God’s way after their lives. That is simply backward thinking.”
Here are the important matters to understand:
1) God loves us. In fact, He loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for our sins so that we might have forgiveness and the hope of eternal life (John 3:16).
2) God’s will is best for our lives. He created us and knows us and, therefore, knows how to “fix” us and keep us going for eternity (Jer. 29:11; Rom 8:28).
3) God expects us to obey Him. Jesus said, “Not everyone who SAYS to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who DOES the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
But we don’t have to GUESS as to what His will is for our lives. He has revealed His will in His Word. . . (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
He wants us to become His children and we can, if we will: place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in *repentance* (Acts 17:30-31), *confess* Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be *baptized* (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).
Then, He wants us to live faithful, obedient lives as His children (1 John 1:7).
When it comes to obeying God, you can go ahead and “sign your name” on the dotted line through your trusting obedience. You won’t regret it! Why not trust and obey Him today?
David A. Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
