Topic: Putting God On Hold
Text: Luke 14: 18
But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Amen
With the advent of technology has come the ability to communicate swiftly and even do a number of tasks simultaneously. At certain times it becomes necessary to put one task on hold as we attend to other more or equally important or urgent tasks.
In the middle of a phone call, for instance, one may pause to attend to other matters which are either important and urgent; important but not urgent; or matters which are neither important nor urgent. Whatever be the case, something takes your attention from the original object.
Interestingly, in our walk with God as Christians, some of us have mastered the art of putting God on hold for various reasons. Putting God on hold is pursuing our personal goals at the expense of God’s Will and Call upon our lives. Often it is with the intention that we will attend to God a bit later; after we have achieved that goal. But the truth remains that nothing is ever too important or urgent enough to take the place of God in our lives.
Today’s text highlights three things that we put God on hold in order to pursue. Jesus narrates a parable in which a man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. (Luke 14: 16-20)
1) “One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’” Many of us tend to put God on hold in order to purse earthly properties – mansions, cars, lands etc.
2) “Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’” Others put God on hold in order to purse earthly accomplishments or status – careers, businesses, qualifications, positions etc.
3) “Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’” Still others put God on hold in order to pursue earthly relationships with friends, family, spouses etc.
The Master’s response to all these was “For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.” (vs 24) Beloved, what has God asked you to do? For how long do you think you can put Him on hold? How much time do you think you have? What are the distractions that take your attention from the One who deserves it all?
Begin to pray. Ask God to help you return to your first love with a broken and contrite heart. Resolve to put God first and to please Him in all things because you are always first on His agenda; never putting you on hold with one flimsy excuse of the other. Does He not deserve our utmost too?
