Do you stand out? And i dont mean the Wear a crazy shirt jeans down to your knees glasses at night freak who everyone looks at and backs off, I mean, can people look at you, and see a difference? When people, your friends, go out clubbing, see a movie you know you shouldn't see, gossip about someone or are even just rude in general, do they look at you, and see a difference? Or do they see a "Christian" who'll wear the tag, but go on living life how they want to? I tell you, honestly, If your faith hasn't changed the way you act on the outside, then it sure hasn't changed anything on your inside. And, yeah, that's hard to hear. but if you accepting Jesus into your heart never caused you to make a change in your day to day life, then i'm saying its time to take a good, long look at where you stand, and ask yourself, If you had the strength to change anything and everything in your life, what would you change for God? That thought you just had, yeah, you know. The one that popped in but you immediately dismissed because you were afraid of a bit of Conflict. God is bigger than that. Does God honestly define you, as a person, or is he just there? Check out Matthew 7:3-5- “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Will God's word be a Spotlight on your life, lighting your path and guiding you down the straight and narrow, or a night light that flickers in the darkness, only lighting up when things get hard? You know what. In the end, standing for God is easier. Your friends who get drunk and do drugs, see movies and sleep around? Give it 20 years, and think about where they will be. You do a few little things now, set your foundations straight, and think about where you will be in the same amount of time. Guarantee, those friends, in 20 years time, will think you made the easy choice. Not that Christianity is easy, no, we're called to die to ourselves. But its a lot easier than ending up homeless, depressed, divorced, alcoholic, jailed, or worse. Michael Angelo puts it well- "The danger is not that our aim is too high and we miss, but that it is too low and we hit it.".
But Josh!! Standing up means, well, work. Things will get hard! Can't i just sit down with God and relax? I mean, i'm not the working type anyway. God understands that.
You know the coolest part about standing for God? You start to cop it from all angles. Yeah, I sound like an idiot. But you know when you come under trial, you must be doing something right. John 17:14-16- "I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do.". If you died, right now, ask yourself, would you be happy? You know that old saying, its not whats on the outside that counts, its whats on the inside. Now, yeah, that's so true, but honestly, who wants to hide a light? If you died today, would you go to Heaven because your heart, on the inside, saved you, or would God race down to you and bring you to Heaven, because you were the kind of Child who didn't just know right from wrong on the inside, but lived it out. God doesn't call you into a comfortable place to sit with him. No, we have an eternity for that. God calls you to work, to pick up your cross and die to yourself, and work from him. And not only because its right for you, but you help others. You set the standard for Christians. When people look at you and know you're Christian, you need to be a role model to them. And you know the coolest thing? He is the best boss. I mean, he supplies your tools, strength, works outside your schedule so you won't always miss out on what you want to do, and, he always pays overtime. Thats my challenge for you, simply change whats on the inside, and let that reflect whats on the outside. Its time to make a stand. Show people who you are. God doesn't call the able, he calls the available. Let him do the rest for you, just put your heart out for him. And, even more so, LISTEN TO HIM, DO HIS WORK, AND BE BLESSED! Yeah, thats right. I'm telling you to be blessed! Why? Because you're awesome. Thanks for Reading :) Be blessed!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSQjSdU8VA
Mark 8:34-35
The Navajo Indian tribe, a group of Native Americans occupying Utah, Arizona, and other small spaces of America, have a saying about your Conscience. Your conscience is like a little Triangle, sitting right next to your heart. When you're about to do something wrong, that triangle spins and pricks your heart. Straight away, you know somethings up. If you ignore it, and harden your heart towards it, it just keeps spinning until eventually it wears out its corners and becomes perfectly circular, so its still spinning when things are going wrong, but you don't feel it anymore, because you are hardened to it. Don't let this happen to your discernment, listen to God, and let that prick strike home, don't wear out your Spiritual conscience and become oblivious to God!
ReplyDeleteJosh man, you have a genuine gift. i would not be the least surprised if in a few years time, I'm listening to you every sunday. This content is incredibly challenging (in a good way) and i hope more people view this.
ReplyDeleteHearing that from an absolute pro blog Writer, thanks mate! Thanks heaps, that actually means so much man. Your blogs are the FUNNIEST thing, haha absolutely LOVE them! They are inspiring, in a rather odd way :P
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