God asked this question on a cool day in Eden (Genesis 3:8-9). Adam and Eve hid due to shame caused by sin (10-13, 17). Therefore, God cursed them and the ground (14, 17), thus paradise was lost (23-24). God’s question should challenge us! Consider the following.
“Where are you” in your marriage? God wants married folk to grow old together (Matthew 19:6). The sacrificial love of Christ is measured at the cross. How does your marital sacrificial love measure up? If you’re not giving 100%, you have got some growing to do. Here’s the bottom line: Marriage is two people climbing the mountain of life together!
“Where are you” in your spiritual growth? The newspaper on February 4, 1983 reported that Karen Carpenter died at the age of 32 from anorexia nervosa. What? That just means she starved herself to death! I am convinced there is such a thing as spiritual anorexia. Spiritual anorexia is an aversion to reading the Scriptures. Nutritious food to the body is as important for physical health as spiritual food to the soul is for spiritual health. The words of Jesus in Matthew 4:4 prove the point. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The cure for spiritual anorexia is found in Psalm 1. “But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law he mediates day and night.” Delight and meditation! Delight is finding joy in getting clear direction from the Word of God. Meditation, says Warren Wiersbe, is to the soul what digestion is to the body. Spiritual nourishment will bring forth spiritual growth.
“Where are you” in your conduct? Christian conduct is powerful enough to win souls to Christ (1 Peter 3:1-2). I like Paul’s take on this, “let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ”(Philippians 1:27). That is powerful! In fact, that is the way you and I must live our lives—worthy of the Gospel!
“Where are you” in your love for God? The greatest commandment is to love God completely (Matthew 22:37). It involves heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30). John said, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). It is the love of God that should motivate us to serve Him wholeheartedly.
“Where are you” in your love for your neighbor? We commonly think of neighbors as the people who live near us, but Jesus meant it to include all mankind—even our enemies! Jesus told the Parable of the Good Samaritan to make it clear that “love your neighbor” means to love all persons, everywhere—not just our friends, allies or countrymen.
I love Isaiah’s cry to God, he said, “Here am I, Send me!” May we live in such a way to be found doing God’s will at all times.
