In my Bible class a few weeks ago, we talked about how we need to have faith in God and how we should show that faith. Faith isn’t just something we say we have; it must be a working faith (James 2:14-26). We talked about our lives here on this earth and how we have a couple of choices as to how we are going to show our faith in our everyday lives.

The “Pie” way – this is when we choose to make God just a piece of our life. It’s the piece that can be easily removed, replaced by something else and often the one that gets pushed to the back of the fridge and when we do find it, we can’t recognize it anymore. This is the way that people live who says they have faith in God, but their actions and words do not add up (Matthew 6:24) Our life can still function without this piece, but it won’t be a happy or blessed life. It will just be a busy life.

The “Wagon Wheel” way – this is when we make God the center of our life. A wagon wheel has a hub and if that part is removed, the wheel falls apart. God needs to be the “hub” of our lives and if He isn’t our lives will fall apart. We are to “obey them that have rule over you” (Heb. 13:17) and if the elders have provided us with times to worship and study, shouldn’t we be there all the time? Sometimes we might not feel like attending, just as I am sure Abraham didn’t want to sacrifice his son, but he still went.

Biblical worship has always been sacrificial, that is where obedience comes in. The “wagon wheel” life isn’t just about attending services. Just because we sit in a pew doesn’t mean Heaven is our home. It’s also about loving God so much that we choose Him over anything else. When given the choice between worship and a sporting event, what will you choose? When given the choice between Bible study and 75% off sale, what will you choose? When given the choice between God and the world, what will you choose? “…whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4.

This has been a struggle for me, but with lots of prayer, help of others, and lots of sacrifice we can live the “wagon way”. It’s not a popular way to live, but we aren’t supposed to be winning any popularity contests. (Matthew 7:13-14)

By Kristina Odom
Kristina and her husband, Justin, serve with the church of Christ in Fairfield, IL where her husband is the preacher. Kristina is a stay-at-home mother to their three kids.