The Isaac Mindset

"After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him."
Genesis 22:1-3

It seems unbelievable that Abraham would get up and be willing to sacrifice his precious son Isaac as soon as God asked it of him. After all, Isaac was a very special young man- if you know anything about his story. In my life I find that God asks things of us all the time, yet the 21st century mindset is all about paving your own way and doing what You feel like. I have been convicted recently of being like this and pray for the humility and obedience to be able to follow God's command with no questions whatsoever. And let's be real about it, does God really ask anything of us that we are going to be unable to give? Of course not. Is he asking it of us just to see us lose something we love? No. Though I feel that we should have such a love for Christ that we would give anything and everything for Him. After all, it is all His anyway.

How in the world can we actually be like Abraham. I am still in awe of his silent obedience. The scripture says he got up EARLY and did as the Lord said. There was no hesitation, no back talking, no praying for mercy, nothing. Abraham realized that God had the right to give and the right to take away.

In a world that is post-Jesus, how much more important is this attitude? Christ died so that we would not perish, but have eternal life. Is it so much then, for us to give freely what he asks of us? Whether it is our time, our lives, our money, our family, etc. You see what I mean.

The reason I pose this rhetoric is this- last year I was faced with the situation where I was being asked to give my hands to the Lord, quite literally due to severe tendinitis. This bought threatened my career and my college future. And I was not willing to give them up. I fought and fought God saying "Why Lord? I need these to do Your will!" Who am I to question the Lord and His will? I needed an Abraham attitude. While not being my only precious son, my hands were quite important to me. I felt that I had dropped everything practical in my life to pursue music, which I felt at the time that God had directed me to do. He wanted me to share my gifts with others via performing, teaching and such. It struck me later though that God was not wanting my hands. After the fact I realized that this, much like Abraham's story, was a test. God did not want my hands- He wanted my complete submission.

Notice how powerful the ending of Abraham's story was. Once he had the knife raised above his son, Isaac and was about to plunge it into his son's heart, God told him no. It was not that God wanted Isaac, he wanted to test Abraham's complete submission. At the same time, the Lord made a promise that "He would provide Himself the sacrifice." So, in comparison, God asking for my hands is a trifle, really. They are just physical appendages that help me in my career. So if God is giving me the gift and chance to play music, why would He take it away? When I finally saw what I was doing wrong (which all stemmed from my vicious pride) I just had to let go. I made myself a mess, emotionally physically and spiritually- all because I refused to give God what was His. Once I let go, though- like Abraham- everything was provided for. I became healed.

The day I finally just fell apart was the day I heard God speak. Not out loud, but in a whisper to my heart. It made me so broken I was ashamed of my attitude, and my lack of faith. I had been worrying for months about what to do. I was just about to drop my music major and quit violin for a semester. One night I felt God saying to me. "Why won't you trust me? Why are you so worried? You complain about your hands, yet mine were also hurt. They were pierced- FOR YOU." The emotion I felt when I heard that was so profound I cannot even explain it. Here I was whining and complaining about what God was doing when all he wanted was my submission- my trust in Him. He says that "All things work together for the good of those who love me and are called according to my purpose." I suppose that I lost sight of that for a while. Even still I find it difficult to explain exactly how I felt, or what happened when this was laid on my heart. God, how could I have been so blind? It is embarrassing that I could not put my complete trust in Him. This ordeal was so simple now that I look back. Before I lacked trust, and now that I have seen what God can do I have more trust.

I was and am still a doubting Thomas. Christ speaks to me when He tells Thomas in John "Have you believed because you have seen? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Still to this day I find myself doubting Christ and what he can do. I find myself delaying and tarrying because of worldly things. I find myself putting myself first, my family first, my career first. The latest evolution of this story has to do with me working in the church and going on missions. I find myself saying no and later because of what my family is doing and trips they want me to go on. While the Bible does say to honor your father and mother, there is one other story that keeps impressing upon me.

In Matthew 8:21 a disciple says to Jesus. "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Then Jesus tells him "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury the dead." The point of this is that we are supposed to drop whatever we are doing to follow. I seem to think that it was a big deal to just leave your family when the patriarch has died. This disciple could have been the next head of the family. His brothers sisters and mother could have been looking to him to provide for them, but instead Jesus says "Follow me" and he does. As it says in Luke "If any man is to be my disciple he must take up his cross daily and follow me. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"

These instructions are powerful. I have spent months pondering them and their implications upon my life. Pray for me, brothers and sisters, as I prayerfully consider what God is calling me to do. I am feeling led to several things that are not what me or my family would consider normal, and I don't want to procrastinate due to worldly things or family. I feel Jesus calling me, and I want to answer without delay. What will I profit if I gain the whole world but lose my soul?
The harvest is ripe and we need to send out workers. I want to be like the prophet who said "Here I am. Send me."

Am I willing to give up my Isaac for the sake of Christ?