This last Sunday we were looking for a place to eat after worship services and my wife mentioned her favorite restaurant, Cowboy’s BBQ which isn’t open on Sundays, and said “I’m glad they’re not open, but it stinks that they’re not open.”
We’ve often thought the same thing about Chic-fil-A and Hobby Lobby; we’re proud of them for not being open on Sunday until in inconveniences us.
Do we fall into that trap of thinking that we can have all the blessings of Heaven and all of the conveniences of worldly pleasures simultaneously? I don’t think it works that way. Being a Christian means that sometimes we have to say ‘No, I’m not going to watch that show even though it’s entertaining because has foul language’; sometimes we have to say ‘No, I’m not going to wear that outfit even though it’s cute because it’s immodest’; sometimes we have to say ‘No, I’m not going to post that even though I’m right because it doesn’t reflect Christ.’
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 emphasis added)
When we sign up to be Christians, we don’t get to pick and choose what’s permissible anymore. We don’t get to be on and off Christians. We don’t get to have one foot in Heaven and one foot in the world. We don’t get to be Christians, as long as it’s convenient.