"Lord, Make It Barbed Wire!"

By Gobel Brockman


Several years ago I heard a story about a Pastor who was walking by a group of people at his church who were praying at the altar. Most were praying quietly, with a few being a little more demonstrative in their petitions. One older gentleman, however, grabbed his attention. He was on his knees rocking back and forth, pounding his fists on the altar, and virtually yelling out his prayer to the Lord:

     "Lord, make it barbed wire! Please make it barbed wire!"

After the service, the Pastor could not let the man leave without asking him about his prayer. The man's response was classic: "Pastor, there are way too many Christians sitting on the fence trying to have the best of both worlds. I'm praying that God would make that fence barbed wire so they have to get off of it and decide which side they're coming down on!"

I hope that man's still alive and still praying.

Jesus addressed this in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. In verses 61-62 we read this:

     "Yet another said, 'Lord, I will follow you, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'"

Strong words indeed. Jesus was basically telling the man, "If you're going to follow me while part of your heart is still home, just go ahead and keep all of you there." Jesus had neither the time nor the desire to deal with halfhearted commitment. He knew that the journey He was calling people to join Him on was a difficult one, and if people weren't sure they were willing to consider it a worthwhile trip it would be better for them not to start it at all.

How different that appears to be with today's Christianity - especially here in "God fearing" USA. And I believe it's in the process of changing. This nation and this world is reaching the point that a clear dividing line is being drawn between those who want "Jesus AND the best of this world" and those who will count the cost of being a true disciple of Jesus and decide that the cost is eternally worth paying. In his book "Radical" David Platt said it well:

     "...somewhere along the way we (have) missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We (are) settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves."     

In other words, realize that the call to true discipleship is a call of total surrender and self-abandonment, be sure you're willing to pay the price to be that kind of disciple, and believe that what Paul said in Romans 8:18 is true:

     "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." 

And if you're sitting on the fence about it, I pray that God makes your fence barbed wire.