Who do you turn to for validation – man or God? Who do you look to for affirmation and encouragement – man or God? Who do you draw your life and strength from – man or God? Who do you fear more – man or God?
We all have a choice in regard to where we go for life. Will we go to God for life, or the things of this world? What holds greater sway in our life – the fear of God, or the fear of man? Is Jesus enough for us, or do we need what this world has to offer?
Many years ago the Lord took me on a journey into increasing dependence on Him. He helped me to see how much I drew life from other people and the things of this world. He opened my eyes to see that I was more concerned about what people thought and said about me than what the Lord thought and said about me.
I began to realize the fear of man was greater in me than the fear of God. I sought the approval of men more than the approval of God.
In the midst of this journey I wrote a song:
“Man or God, who do I love?
Praises from men or my Father above?
Vanity will it be my delight?
Can God’s love be my song in the night?
Man or God, who is my hope?
Who is my anchor, my pillar, my rope?
Looking forward what can I see?
Simply today or all eternity?
Man or God, who will I serve?
Which way will I walk and from it not swerve?
Follow the wide or the narrow way?
Will I choose life or death this day?
Man or God, who is my trust?
In worldly treasures that decay and rust?
Will I dwell near the waters or life?
Or in a dry land of sorrow and strife?
Man or God, where is my life?
Sometimes this world can cut like a knife.
Who will heal and care for my wounds?
Man or the power that emptied the tomb?
Man or God, where will I turn?
For love and freedom I desperately yearn.
Fill the void, let the rains fall.
Quench my thirst, quench it all.
God or man, spirit or soul?
To whom will I yield my control?
Keep my life, or count it as loss?
Will I chose life through death at the cross?
I choose God my Father, my Friend
My all in all, my beginning and end
In you God and in You alone
I put my hope and I now bow at your throne
Love everlasting, mercy and grace
Help this weak man to seek your face
Sometimes I falter I doubt and I fear
Please my Father won’t You draw me near”
We have a choice to make: will we go to the spring of living water for life, or try to dig our own wells to find life outside of God? If you find yourself in the midst of a difficult situation considering walking away from the Lord, it means that you still think you can find life apart from God.
I love Peter’s answer when Jesus asked him and the other disciples if they were going to leave:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)
Peter knew he had no other option but Jesus. It was Jesus or nothing, so Peter was all in.
So, are you considering your options, or are you all in? There is no life apart from Jesus – He is The Life. Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly, but we often try to find life apart from Him.
Man or God – where do you go? We must choose to find our life in Christ; to reject the seduction of life apart from Him. We are made to be grafted into Christ and draw our life from Him. Apart from Him we wither and die.
Like Keith Green said, “He is Divine and we are de branch.”
We are made for life in Christ. We’re made to be all in!
Jeremiah 2:13
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 2:24
“But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.”
John 14:6
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”