too difficult to change...

what a difficult thing to give up what is most valuable or important to one in life. im not sure how i would respond if God were to ask me to give up that one thing which is most valuable in life. there is too much pain, hurt, and maybe even unforgiveness that comes with it. when things get taken away, it bothers me enough already. but when i m asked to give things up out of my own will, its pretty difficult. cutting out things that are invaluable seems to be a cinch. but it's those things that hold some kind of value to me, those are the things that i find trouble letting go of.

in gen.22, abraham is asked to let go of his son -- the one that God told him he was going to have, the one that he had been waiting nearly 20 years for, the one who would carry on his name and be a blessing to the rest of the world. God not only asks abraham to let go, but he actually tells him to cut him off of himself (sacrificing him). that's crazy.

what's even crazier is that abraham doesn't even argue with God. no conversation about the matter-- nothing. he gets up, takes his son out on a few days trip, sees the place, goes up, builds an alter, ties his son up, and gets ready to sacrifice him on the alter -- all because it's what God asked him to do.

for all of you who are not familiar, God intervenes and gives him mad props for not withholding even his son from God. abraham becomes known as the 'father of our faith.'

pretty cool name, but the title came at a cost. it nearly cost him the one thing that he cared about most.

can it be that there are things in life that God calls us to 'cut off' from ourselves? things that don't please him? things that He knows are not in our best interest? and maybe, just maybe, because He wants us to be obedient, no matter the cost.


how would you respond if God called you to get rid of the thing that you value most?

how do you obey God when it doesn't make sense or when it seems too difficult?

let me know.