"Got" To or "GET" To?

TheBibleSender · Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 162

"Got" To or "GET" To?
By Mark Cahill

I firmly believe that we must change our mindset about sharing our faith. We must view it as the awesome opportunity that it is and not as some sort of drudgery. It should be a joyful activity that we can't wait to do instead of the worst part of our week. So how can that be done?

Often when we wake up late on Sunday morning and are tired, we think that we have 'got' to go to church. That is completely the wrong perspective. It's not that we have 'got' to go to church, but that we 'GET' to go to church! It is a privilege to gather with fellow believers and worship our great God and Savior. By just changing a vowel, it goes from being a task to being an opportunity! There are believers in China who literally walk six hours to go to church, and they don't have "McChurch" for thirty minutes! They thoroughly worship the Lord, and then they walk six hours back home. We consider it "suffering" when we have to drive to church in the rain! We must develop the mindset that we 'GET' to go to church.

We may realize, at 11 p.m., that we haven't had a quiet time of prayer that day. It isn't that we have 'got' to pray, but we 'GET' to pray to Almighty God! Isn't it amazing that the God who is in total control of this universe will take time out of His day to hear our prayers? He can't wait to communicate with us and listen to our heart. It is not a chore to pray, but an incredible opportunity. We should so desire to communicate with our heavenly Father that we "pray without ceasing."

Sometimes we realize very late at night that we haven't read our Bible yet that day. We have the mindset that we have 'got' to read the Bible, but we must not view it as a chore. It's not that we have 'got' to read our Bible, but we 'GET' to read the holy Word of God. We have the chance to nourish our spirit with eternal food any time we choose. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). What a privilege it is to 'GET' to read God's Word.

Many times we have the mindset that we have 'got' to tithe. We most definitely have the wrong mindset. It's not that we have 'got' to tithe and give our money to the work of the Lord, but that we 'GET' to! As the economy slows, many pastors report that tithes decrease significantly. But when times get tough we ought to give more, not less. If I need to make a cut in my budget, it cannot be in the money that I give to the work of God. I have cheated God in the past with my tithes and offerings, but no more.

A friend of mine supports twenty-five missionaries each month. When his finances got tight, he took out a loan to pay the missionaries that month! He knows the importance of giving with all that you have to the work of the Lord. Luke 6:38 tells us, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." Giving back to God is a privilege. We must learn to view it that way.

As I speak at different events, I find it interesting to observe the various styles of worshiping God. Apparently, many people consider it a chore to sing loud and from the heart to the Lord that we love. They appear to have the mindset that they have 'got' to praise and worship God. Instead, they should realize that we 'GET' to worship the King of kings with our entire being!

By the way, when we die, it is not that we have 'got' to go to Heaven, but we 'GET' to go to Heaven! I pray that the Holy Spirit will change your mindset from one in which you have 'got' to share your faith, to realizing that you 'GET' to share your faith with all the lost people you can find until you get to Heaven.

There is something else we must realize as we share our faith: the value of other people in the eyes of Almighty God. What is a soul worth? God said that He made mankind in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). Every soul is of infinite value to God. Once we understand that, then there won't be anything we wouldn't do to help them come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Going into the whole world to preach the gospel will be a joy!

Adapted from One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven. For very practical, biblical techniques for reaching the lost, see all of Mark's resources at http://www.markcahill.org/resource.html.

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