Are you riding the fence? There are three places in the bible that come to mind when we talk about fence riding.
The first scripture in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.”
And the second is 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
And last but definitely not least is Luke 11:28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
All these scriptures are what we need to study and dwell on when we want to dive deeper into who we are serving. I think sometimes one of the hardest things about being lukewarm is the deciding factor of where the fence is. What does the fence look like, how high is it, and what determines “Am I a fence rider?”
Many different times in our life we go through periods where we are gung-ho for Jesus doing everything right. Reading your bible daily, prayer time spent and checking all the boxes we think make us a good christian. But what determines when we stop doing everything we are supposed to? What the fence could start to look like? What are the signs that maybe we are getting close to riding the fence?
I know just because someone reads the bible and does devotionals doesn’t always mean their actions show through to others more than face value. Are we reading our bibles to check off our lists, to make ourselves feel like we are following Christ. Because if we are just going through the motions and not seeing any fruit from what you are doing, you could be a fence rider. I’m not saying you are but if you aren’t seeing outward fruit in your life then you need to examine why.
Why isn’t what I’m reading showing through in my daily life? Why isn’t my language changing? How come no one really knows I believe in Jesus because it shows without me having to say it. Every fence will look a little different, but it is still a fence. You cannot have one foot with Jesus and one foot in the worldly things. It's either all for Jesus or you are of the world. Even the demons and devil believe that God is who He says He is. They know what the bible says. That's why the devil is so good at tricking humans into asking the same question he asked Eve. Did God really say that? He makes us question our ability to know Christ's words.
So, if you want to be off the fence, your daily living, speaking, and actions needs to be showing fruit from God. You need to be actively making decisions that will benefit your relationship with Jesus. This means today you aren't going to go with friends that gossip and make fun of other people. Today you are going to start saving money instead of going shopping for unnecessary things. Today you are going to start listening to uplifting music that fills you up and does not infect your thoughts. When you do this, you can truly live for God the way He wants you too.
It's about making daily and minute by minute decisions that are going to make you grow closer with God. You are going to start desiring the things He wants. You are going to start wanting healthy fruit of the Spirit instead of taking whatever you can from someone who isn’t good for you. It’s about making the right decision even on bad days because you're being obedient to Christ. You are not forming relationships built on feelings or emotions.
But instead, asking are these people going to inspire me in my relationship with Jesus. Who are your people, your friend group, your close counsel. Who feeds your spirit on a human level. Are they serving Christ? Are they speaking into your life with respect? Are they caring for you and helping you make right decisions? Are they being honest with you about what they see from you? Can you count on them? These are all questions we need to ask ourselves when choosing those close relationships because that is what will help you stay off the fence. That will either inspire you to follow God or draw you away from the presence of God. You will be either lukewarm, hot or cold.
So, which one do you want to be, because only you can make the choice to stop riding the fence. God will help you get off it. But you must ask, seek and draw near to him because we are in a season where people need to get off the fence and serve God. We need to understand that a time is coming when we all must stand before God and answer for what we have done. If you die to your flesh daily through the blood of Christ, He has already covered you and cleansed you.
Everyone has a choice. God is a gentleman and will not barge in and make you do anything. You will have to make the choice for yourself and if you choose Jesus He will fill that empty spot that no one else will ever be able to fill. His Love surpasses all of our human understanding. He only asks for us to come to Him and He will make us new.
Blessings,
Pastor Rae Lynn