Please tell me I am not the only one who has a coversation like this with the Lord, "Ok, what do you have for me today? Who do you want me to witness too? How can I be the Light today?! Oh right...I'm going to be around people who are probably already saved...ok then. Then who is it that you need me to minister to?" Then the thought that follows is, "It's probably something hard and really not fun isn't it? It's probably going to be unpleasent isn't it? Something super simple like helping someone I don't want to be around." I then I say, "Oh well. That's what God promised us this life will be. He never said it'd be easy..." yata, yata, yata. Do you think that sounds appealing to someone who does not have a relationship with Christ? I can answer that for you in one word. No. No! It doesn't.
Hey! You should be a christian!
Why?
Um... well...Oh! I know! Because if you don't you'll burn in hell for ever and ever while I'm sipping lemonaid with Jesus. You want to go to heaven instead right?
Yeah that sounds great and all, but don't you have to like, do hard stuff?
Well...yes. Sometimes I do.
And don't you have to miss out on a lot of fun things because they're "Bad"?
Yeah sometimes. But I still do fun stuff!
Right. Just not the kind of stuff I think is fun. No thanks. I'll live my life and you just live yours. That Jesus stuff is not for me. For all you know you could be wrong. Once you die you could just go in the ground. End of story. If that's the case I'd rather just live while I can. Without having to worry about what I can and can't do. Besides, I'm a good person. Sure I may not be the best, but I'm certanly not the worst.
What?! No! Just...no.
So many times we as christians are missing the point! Does the conversation I just presented you with convence you that you need Jesus? Or that you made the right choice as a follower of Christ?
Why do we endure the uglyness of this world? Why do we choose to do what seems hard to the rest of the world when we could be doing other things? Why do we continue to push back when the world says, "I have what you really want"? Why do we choose to look different from this world when it would be much easier to just go with the flow?
Philippians 3:7-12, 14
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
I press on. Press on towards the goal for the prize. The surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. He is worth it. He knows what's best. God has a plan! He knows best! He has my best interest and his glory in mind. Are you getting all this? Is it soaking into your heart and your mind? We serve a God that cares about every detail of our life and journey because it's right where he has placed us. He's so personal! Oh my goodness he loves you so much! Why on earth would we sacrifice knowing him, bringing him glory, and being loved by a perfect Father for the temporary gratification this world could give us? It's not worth it. Without God life is empty and hopeless. With him it's worth living, it's full, and it has purpose.
Now here's my challenge to those of us who are folowers of Christ and children of God; live like it. Live like the sacrifices are worth it because they are. Live so that others will say, "I want the peace and true joy you have". Live like this world is not your home and you are looking to what is coming next because it's worth the trials here.
My hope is that you are encouraged from reading this post. I hope you are stirred up to live the amazing life that God our Father has set before you. Don't be ashamed of the life you have chosen. Walk out in faith!
Blessings,
Cali Sims
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