Cut It Off

 “And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”-Matthew 5:30

“If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off.”  There I was sitting in a Serve Safe class (food safety class) learning about the dos and don’ts of serving food.  The instructor was lecturing on hairnets, and so forth when she mentioned jewelry.  She stated “ladies, I am sorry to say that you need to take off all your jewelry before serving food.  Only a solid gold band is acceptable.”  She went on to say, “the reason we do this is the risk is too great.  The potential harm to the customer, the business, and the brand is too great.  A diamond or earring could easily fall into the food and end up breaking somebody’s tooth.  It is better to remove them.”  No one argued.   

The risk is too great.  Those words shot to my heart like an arrow.  The Spirit, with scripture, began to apply it to my spiritual life.  I asked myself: “do I believe the risk is too great?”  “Do I believe that there is potential harm in the wearing of gold, jewels, and costly array(clothes)?”  If I were to purchase and wear these things, would it rob me of communion with God?  Would it set a harmful example to others?  Yes.  I believe it would.  No debate there, but what else?  What other things in my life are there that these words of Jesus: if thy hand offend thee, cut it off touch on?  Could it be that investing my time in television/movies would defraud God of the wisdom that he wanted to give me?  Is worth it? Or is the risk too great?  Are we so immune to the influence of social media to imagine that our minds cannot be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ?  Can we really turn off the phone whenever we want?  The reason to pull off the ring was not simply about the jewel or gem that rested within the band.  It was the risk.  It was the potential harm.  Are we convinced that the “things” of this world have a potential to cause everlasting harm?  Are we sold on the fact that these things can persuade, addict, snare, and steal our joy?  I am convinced that the Holy Spirit is the perfect gentleman.  He will not go where He is not welcome and will not stay where He is not wanted.  God doesn’t want our money, talents, or intelligence, he wants us.  He wants our time, our devotion, our worship.  I don’t know where you stand on all the “things” (concerts, movies, sports events, bars, dances, cruises, mixed bathing, immodest dress, jewelry, hobbies, and more) of this world.  I can’t speak to your level of indulgence in the things of this world.  Nor you to mine.  But it’s come to this: we can spend our days living in friendship with this world and giving only the dregs of our time to God and call that being Christians; but don’t imagine that is without risk.  Without harm.  We will risk losing fellowship with the Creator.  We will risk allowing Satan to invade our hearts, life, home, churches, and pulpits.  We will risk losing our harmony with the Holy Spirit, our power in prayer, and our ambassadorship for the cause of Christ. We will risk falling away from God, backsliding, and even falling into hell.  It may not be sinful, but don’t imagine for a moment that it is not harmful.  That these things are without risk, and without offense to each of us. 

The book of James tells us: “whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”  God is breaking me over this thought, that if you are friendly to this world.  To the affection, lust, pride, and pleasure of it.  Then you are an enemy of God.  That implies there is a battleground.  When we take on the world, we yield that territory, that part of us that should be given to God.  We yield that to the lust of the flesh, which is not after God, and therefore will not glorify God.  When we cut off the world in our lives, we yield that territory over to God; to use as he sees fit.  Thereby experiencing the blessings and fellowship that come with sacrificing as our Savior did.  All this to say: we can have as much of this world as we want.  Or as much of the presence of God as we want; but we can’t have both.  To take on one, is to leave off the other.