Heart, soul, body

I would like to share an illustration I once heard, and use myself sometimes when I preach.

Here is a story of a boy and a girl. The boy had a bag of marbles, the little girl a bag of candy.
In the course of a conversation it was decided that the boy would trade all the marbles for the girl’s entire bag of candy. The two made an agreement that they would each bring their respective objects of trade the following day. The boy went home thinking of all the wonderful candy he would be eating, of all the blessings and goodness, if you will (sugar is not substance, I know, but work with me, it is perhaps what we really receive when the intent of our heart is as this young boy’s and we deceive ourselves). At one point in the evening he went to look at his bag of marbles, remembering where he had gotten each one. He picked out the biggest, prettiest marble, keeping it for himself. The following morning he gave the bag of marbles in trade for the bag of candy as agreed upon (minus his favorite marble). That night he lay in bed thinking about the little girl, and a single thought crossed his mind. This thought began to bother him as he lay there, keeping him up, tormenting him, really. Had the little girl really given him all the candy?

It is this way with some of us. I think we sometimes go to bed at night wondering if God has really given us His all. It should cause us to examine. Am I expecting God’s best without a thought as to whether I have indeed given Him my best? He deserves my best. I deserved death. Have I truly given myself heart, body, and soul to Him and His plan for my life? Is that apparent in my daily life?

He is worthy of a life of worship.

- Chris Farmer