“Much is required from those to whom much has been given; and much more is required from those to whom much more has been given.” (Luke 13.48b NLT)
When our children were very small, Russ & I didn’t expect them to do many household chores. Sophia would bring her plate to the kitchen counter after lunch; Sam would pick up his matchbox cars from the living room floor. On a good day, Annabelle would hand me the clean spoons from the dishwasher so that I could put them away. Since they were just toddlers, they often received little more than a hug, a kiss or a ‘Nilla wafer for their trouble.
However, now that the kids are the ripe ol’ ages of 12, 9 and 6 ½ (Annabelle insists that I add the “half”!), the days of easy living are well behind them! Their chore charts include folding and putting away their own laundry, taking out the trash, and cleaning their respective bathrooms. But that isn’t all. We also expect the children to speak kindly to each other, to work hard in school, to help each other, to watch over younger ones at the playground, to be responsible with library books and eye glasses. The incrementally increasing requirements denote their incrementally increasing maturity. (There is no end in sight for either.) After all, we are training them not just to be good children but to be godly adults. And aaahhh… the rewards for their hard work have also increased! A pat on the head or a cookie just doesn’t cut it anymore! A trip to the movies or Chic-Fil-A, a new Barbie or Lego sets … these are the prizes of 2008!
As I reflect on this progression, I begin to see the same is true for me in a spiritual sense. When I was a “baby” Christian, the Lord was very patient with me. His “requirements” did not overwhelm me. I knew He longed to speak to me through His Word, so I gladly spent time reading my Bible. From spending time in the Word, I learned all sorts of prerequisites for continued spiritual growth … prayer, tithing, giving, sharing my story with others, and making disciples. None of these disciplines brought about my salvation, mind you; rather, they resulted from it. (Seems my Heavenly Father is no more satisfied with my remaining a spiritual toddler than I would be for my physical children to do the same!) As you may imagine, the reward for such labors … ever-increasing maturity.
Now, some 17 years into my journey with Christ, I find that there are not fewer requirements … but more. Always more. Jesus wants ALL of me. The more I give to Him by way of embracing those requirements, the more He gives to me in love, knowledge, and skill to do what He requires. Consequently, as He gives more love, knowledge and skill, He requires more of me. More of my obedience, more of my time, more of my thought and energy. Like an outwardly spiraling circle slowly encompassing every aspect of my life, requirement brings reward, which brings more requirement, which brings more reward. And sometimes, He throws in a chicken sandwich just for fun.
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