What if God asked you?

Just the other day...I was reading in the book of John (Chapter 6). Jesus was telling the people "...unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." This, of course, was a hard word for them to understand. Drink your blood? Eat your flesh? What??? It says in verse 60 that even the disciples had a hard time accepting the words Jesus had spoken. As you read further, you come to verse 66 that says, horribly..."From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." Wow. Can you imagine having seen Christ perform amazing miracles, and then decide to get offended and leave?! He had just fed the five thousand and walked on water a few verses earlier!

The verse that really hit me is coming up though and here it is, vs 67:

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

I can't even fathom my Lord asking me that. It would break my heart. I would probably cry...just as I am now even thinking about it. But you know what? People do it all the time. People? Who am I fooling? I do it all the time. When He asks me to speak up for Him and I keep quiet. When He asks me to do something hard, something that might even...heaven forbid...offend someone else and I tuck my tail and run. Even when I neglect Him and put Him on the shelf for a few days. It's in those times that I am acting just like those in the crowd who did leave. I'm essentially saying, "God, your word...this walk of faith...it's too hard. Make it easier, make it less offensive, and you'll have my full devotion."

It's sick to think about, but that's what we do, isn't it? No, we don't actually leave the faith, but yet we act like those with no faith in Christ at all. We act just like those who DO take offense to His name.

What if He asked us point-blank, "Do you want to leave?" each and every day? Actually, He does. Each and every day He gives us a choice. And our answer each and every day should be just like Peter's in verse 68:

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

That's it! Simon Peter, just like those of us who have chosen Christ, was convinced that He had found the One...the Way...the Truth...the Answer. And if we are among those of faith, among the convinced, then who are we to EVER shrink back in fear...to EVER keep our mouths shut...to EVER tell the Lord no because what He is asking might be too hard?! You know what? Living that kind of a Christian walk is ineffective and, in my opinion, boring. What has ever been gained by running away and hiding in a corner? If we, as Christians, want to be a light in an ever-darkening society, we can't leave Him now...especially not now!!!

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" - Jesus