Footsie With Jesus

They are obviously in love. He watches her every move with such pure adoration. His precious bride! Her face brightens and her smile widens when he walks into the room. Her beloved groom! They embrace. They share a long, languorous kiss.

They sit and she unbuckles her heels while she locks eyes with him. He swallows and relaxes, expectant, kicking off his own shoes. She smiles and moves toward him.

Running her toes along his foot, she settles back into the sofa. He reaches for her but she pushes him away. Intrigued, he leans in for another kiss. She turns her head and laughs, all the while stroking his foot with hers. He tries to pull her closer but she resists. Intrigue turns to sadness as he realizes she doesn't love him the way he loves her. With one last longing look, he leaves.

I know too many people who are playing this very game right now. They love Jesus, they claim to have a relationship with him but when it comes time to go all in, they balk. I call it playing footsie with Jesus.

Jesus was familiar with this type of Christian. In Revelation 3:15-16, he addresses the footsie-playing members of the church at Laodicea:

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Jesus doesn't need someone who only wants to play games. He's looking for men and women who are head over heels in love with him and committed to him at all costs. The woman who turns her back on illicit relationships for him. The man who chooses Jesus over just one more drink.

The truth is, you can't be "all in" with Jesus and cheat on your taxes. You can't choose Jesus and engage in sexual sin. You can't be totally devoted to him and carry a grudge. They cannot co-exist.

Before you conclude that true devotion to the Lord is based only on behavior, let's look at what he says in his word. In Isaiah 29:13, he describes the type of follower he does not desire:

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

God seeks followers with a single characteristic that marks them as genuine. In Luke 14:33, he says:

In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. 

Everything? Really, Jesus? Does that include my career aspirations? My pursuit of a spouse? My friends? My (fill in the blank)?

It's drastic. Audacious. A little unrealistic, perhaps? Not when you look at the drastic, audacious, REAL God we serve!

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

All things means, well, all things. But you must be all in. No more footsie.