The Cost of Going All the Way with God

by David Wilkerson

One of the fastest ways to lose friends is to go all the way with God. Once you become serious about spiritual matters, forsaking all your idols, taking your eyes off the things of this world, turning to Jesus with all your heart and hungering for more of Him -- you suddenly become "a religious fanatic." And soon you'll experience the worst rejection of your lifetime.

Why This Change?

When you were a lukewarm Christian you were no trouble to anyone, not even the devil. You were neither overly sinful nor overly holy. You were just another halfhearted believers, and your life was quiet and untroubled. You were accepted. But then you changed. You got hungry for more of Jesus and you could no longer play church games. You repented and turned to the Lord with all your heart.

Down came your idols of money, fame, pleasure, sports -- anything and everything that was more important to you than Jesus. You began to dig into God's Word. You stopped pursuing material possessions and became obsessed with pursuing Christ. You entered a new realm of discernment and began to see things in the Church that before had never bothered you.

You heard things from the pulpit that broke your heart. You saw other Christians compromising as you once did, and it hurt you. In short, you were awakened, turned around, made broken and contrite in spirit, and God gave you a burden for His Church.

And the result? Now your friends and family think you're crazy. Instead of rejoicing with you or encouraging you, they ridicule you, mock you, and call you a fanatic. "What's happened to you?" they say. "We don't even know who you are anymore. Why don't you go back to the way you used to be?"

If you've experienced this, don't be discouraged -- you're in good company. Let's look at several Old and New Testament faithful who knew just what you are feeling.

Moses, for instance, was touched wonderfully by God, and was awakened in his heart concerning the bondage of His people. In fact, Moses was so excited by this great revelation of deliverance that he ran to share it: "It came into his heart to visit his brethren...For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not" (Acts 7:23, 25).

Moses and his vision were spurned. But why? Moses was the meekest man on earth, consumed with God. He was not acting holier-than-thou; he was acting prophetically according to God's will. He only wanted his brothers and sisters to hear and see what God was about to do. But he spiritually offended them. They rejected him, saying, "Who made you a rule and judge over us? Who do you think you are?"

A few years ago the Holy Spirit awakened me and I began to embrace the Lord's call to holiness. I got serious about walking in God's truth, and His Word became life to me. I began to see things I'd never seen before, and I wanted to share them with everybody. I called ministers on the phone and explained what God was saying to me. Many came to my office to see me. I opened up my Bible to them, weeping, and pointed out the glorious truths of full surrender and heart purity.

I thought these ministers of God would see these truths too -- that they would love the Word and fall on their knees with me to pray for a new touch of God. Instead, most of them just blinked and looked puzzled. They said things like, "Are you sure you aren't going a little overboard?" or "That's a little heavy for me." The more I sought God, the less I saw of them. It was if they were throwing cold water in my face. They didn't want to hear anything the Lord had shared with me.