What is "the walk"?
This could be different for some Christians, in that we all have different gifts.
I'd like to focus more on the walk that God calls all His children to.
A walk of faith.
Once you realise that you aren't perfect and you open up your heart to share your struggles and ask for prayer, you also open up your heart to God's plan for you and for Him to be able to work. We have all come to a place where we realised we were dying spiritually, and that we needed a Savior. We all said the prayer in some way, Admitting we were sinners and repented...Believed in Jesus as our Lord and Savior...then Told everyone about it :)
So what now?
How has your life really changed since that moment?
Are you still as excited and humbled as you were when you first met Him?
Do the decisions you make now, and what takes up your time, reflect that commitment you made years ago?
The Bible says that those who don't have the Holy Spirit won't be able to fully understand it. But I wonder how many Christians read it as much as they preach it. When we become Believers we still need Jesus everyday. He isn't like a defibrillator, where we would only need Him when we are dying and then never need Him again. He is more like a vitamin, we have to take Him everyday to keep ourselves healthy. Sure if you don't take Him, you won't die...but you would be able to live a whole lot better if you took Him everyday. :)
God isn't a glamorous God. He doesn't require yelling, and He doesn't always want "live-changing experiences". He's an intimate God. He wants your heart, because from your heart everything flows. I could scream in worship, sing a beautiful song, even give an amazing talk or pray the "perfect prayer" (no such thing)...but if my heart doesn't say the same thing...it means nothing to God. He doesn't require us to do big things, or go where no man has gone before...He only requires that we follow Him...and walk as He sets the path for us. He called some people to go to Hungry to witness, and called some people to go to South Dakota...but He is also calling people to reach their neighbors...to work in the church nursery. It isn't about the glamour. If you want all the attention, and the glamorous trips...I'm sorry...that was your old life...when you were gratifying your desires for more. Being a follower in Jesus Christ is not about that...it is about serving God, even when you get none of the credit. When being in ministry wears you out and He gives you just enough strength for the day.
God doesn't call everyone to the hard stuff, He doesn't call everyone to the easy things.
But when you accepted Christ, wasn't it about Him? Where He wanted you? What He wanted to do through you? Do you love Him, or your riches and glory?
How many people have sung the song "I will follow"...."where You go, I'll go, where You stay, I'll stay..."? Yet, when some people turn 18, they follow their anger to leave their parents house, and wouldn't even try to go through the hard stuff to stay. Or, someone who doesn't want to loose their boyfriend or girlfriend, so instead of leaving to go home, they stay and sleep over.
If God lead you to something you didn't want to do...something that was hard and didn't look like you would get any firework display for doing it...would you do it?
The Christian walk is not about being without sin. It is about follow Jesus Christ, into deep waters, into dark canyons or even out of a relationship. It may hurt, you may be scared. But will you still follow?
We made a choice to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. We gave our lives to Him. Are you still making that choice? Are you choosing God with every decision? Are you choosing God's way rather than sleeping with your boyfriend or girlfriend? Are you choosing God's way rather than your anger? Are you choosing God's way rather than what would bring you more money? Are you choosing God's way rather than what is easy?
We live in a sinful world, most of the time choosing God's way will be hard. Not because He wants it to be hard, but just the fact of what we are surrounded by. Sin is in the world...and because God is righteous...He isn't going to do all the work for us. Many people ask why God lets certain things happen. Well, He doesn't...it is a result of man's choice. Man's choice not to choose God. And it gets passed down generation to generation.
But even through all the chaos, He will still work. He may not make things go away...but He will lead you through it.
The glass has always been half full...you were just focusing on what was missing and not on what you had. Sin isn't the focus...Jesus is.
God has a plan for you...choose it.
Scripture: Psalm 32:8-11, Psalm 139, Proverbs 3:3-10, Proverbs 4:11-13,25-27, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Galatians 1:10, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 11:2-3, James 1:2-18, 1 Peter 3:15-16, John 14:15,23, John 4:13-14, Matthew 15:18-19, Matthew 7:13-14
Showing posts with label Christian walk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian walk. Show all posts
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Focus on the walk (Part One)
We all have things we deal with. Things that are hard. Sin we are trying to weed out.
We aren't perfect. Through Jesus we have the strength to become more like Him, to seek perfection.
I have said in my other posts how I feel people need to be honest with each other about their struggles. There seems to be this lie going around in the Christian community that Christians are "perfect" that they don't struggle and if you have sin, you can't be a Christian. This is a lie and I would like to expose it today.
If Christians are perfect and have no sin...I am not a Christian and no one I know is either. Being a Christian is not about being perfect, it isn't even about getting rid of sin. It is about walking with the Lord. Seeking Christ day in and day out. Reading His Word, letting Him change and move you even beyond your own plans or agenda.
As I was brushing my teeth last night God spoke to me. He said "when you focus on your sin, your guard is down and it allows for more to come in. You need to stop focusing on you sin, and focus on your walk". Here I am weeding out the trash at a complete stop telling God that I need to get this right before I can move forward. He convicted me that standing still was going to take a lot longer and that it would hurt more to get rid of it. See, if we all stopped to weed through the trash, no one would be moving. We focus so much on being "perfect" and not having problems that we never move. Christians are followers of Christ, meaning they are moving, walking in His light...even with their sin and struggles. We think we can achieve this perfect picture of a Christian...but that "perfect Christian" doesn't exist. It is a lie. And the enemy uses your desire to please God, to KEEP YOU FROM MOVING.
The devil wants you to stop, and analyze the trash, to stay focused on your sin...because you aren't a threat to him if you are at a stand still. And his goal is to kill us, and the longer we stay at a stand still the further we get from the Lord (who is always moving).
Jesus came for sinners. Not for perfect Christians. So I think that the more honest we are about our sin 1) the devil can't use it against us because it is out in the open 2)God has an opportunity to grow you as you walk 3)more people will feel comfortable trusting God because they won't feel alone in their struggle.
Sin MUST be confessed, it must be brought into the light...but once it is...you can't just put everything else on hold while you "fix your problem" because what happens if in a month a new problem comes...will you stop for that too?
Being a Christian means we walk by faith...trusting in God's Word that He would never leave us and that when we repent...that HE FORGIVES us. Sure when the sin is forgiven the scars or consequences might still be there...but you can't let them hold you down, you can't let them stop you from seeking the Lord and following Him.
I know there are people who maybe have had to put things on hold or stop being in Church ministry because of sin...but God doesn't require us to sit at home doing nothing until it is all done with...we still have to move with the Lord and seek Him. If you are waiting for forgiveness...when you say "God, forgive me for..." you are forgiven. God doesn't want us wallowing in self pity or staying as slaves to sin after we are forgiven...that isn't what Jesus came for.
Jesus broke your chains...now, will you get up and walk?
God also doesn't leave us to figure things out on our own. If you ask Him for it, He will give it. If you don't know what to pray, ask Him to teach you how to pray. If you don't think you have the strength to get up and go to work, pray for it. If you can't fall asleep at night, pray for Him to give you peace and to give you the rest you need in how ever many hours your eyes are closed.
Remember WHO God is. Remeber WHY Jesus came. And remember WHAT it means to be a Christian.
Don't focus on your sin, focus on your walk, and the sin won't be able to stay.
Active Christians threaten satan, not sinful people. Everyone is a sinner...but sin doesn't define everyone. Without sin, we wouldn't need a Savior. Let Him help you flee from it.
Scriptures: 1 John 1:8-10, James 5:13-16, 1 Peter 4: 8, 1 Peter 5:8-9, Romans 3:23, 2 Timothy 2:22
(Next part will be on the walk)
We aren't perfect. Through Jesus we have the strength to become more like Him, to seek perfection.
I have said in my other posts how I feel people need to be honest with each other about their struggles. There seems to be this lie going around in the Christian community that Christians are "perfect" that they don't struggle and if you have sin, you can't be a Christian. This is a lie and I would like to expose it today.
If Christians are perfect and have no sin...I am not a Christian and no one I know is either. Being a Christian is not about being perfect, it isn't even about getting rid of sin. It is about walking with the Lord. Seeking Christ day in and day out. Reading His Word, letting Him change and move you even beyond your own plans or agenda.
As I was brushing my teeth last night God spoke to me. He said "when you focus on your sin, your guard is down and it allows for more to come in. You need to stop focusing on you sin, and focus on your walk". Here I am weeding out the trash at a complete stop telling God that I need to get this right before I can move forward. He convicted me that standing still was going to take a lot longer and that it would hurt more to get rid of it. See, if we all stopped to weed through the trash, no one would be moving. We focus so much on being "perfect" and not having problems that we never move. Christians are followers of Christ, meaning they are moving, walking in His light...even with their sin and struggles. We think we can achieve this perfect picture of a Christian...but that "perfect Christian" doesn't exist. It is a lie. And the enemy uses your desire to please God, to KEEP YOU FROM MOVING.
The devil wants you to stop, and analyze the trash, to stay focused on your sin...because you aren't a threat to him if you are at a stand still. And his goal is to kill us, and the longer we stay at a stand still the further we get from the Lord (who is always moving).
Jesus came for sinners. Not for perfect Christians. So I think that the more honest we are about our sin 1) the devil can't use it against us because it is out in the open 2)God has an opportunity to grow you as you walk 3)more people will feel comfortable trusting God because they won't feel alone in their struggle.
Sin MUST be confessed, it must be brought into the light...but once it is...you can't just put everything else on hold while you "fix your problem" because what happens if in a month a new problem comes...will you stop for that too?
Being a Christian means we walk by faith...trusting in God's Word that He would never leave us and that when we repent...that HE FORGIVES us. Sure when the sin is forgiven the scars or consequences might still be there...but you can't let them hold you down, you can't let them stop you from seeking the Lord and following Him.
I know there are people who maybe have had to put things on hold or stop being in Church ministry because of sin...but God doesn't require us to sit at home doing nothing until it is all done with...we still have to move with the Lord and seek Him. If you are waiting for forgiveness...when you say "God, forgive me for..." you are forgiven. God doesn't want us wallowing in self pity or staying as slaves to sin after we are forgiven...that isn't what Jesus came for.
Jesus broke your chains...now, will you get up and walk?
God also doesn't leave us to figure things out on our own. If you ask Him for it, He will give it. If you don't know what to pray, ask Him to teach you how to pray. If you don't think you have the strength to get up and go to work, pray for it. If you can't fall asleep at night, pray for Him to give you peace and to give you the rest you need in how ever many hours your eyes are closed.
Remember WHO God is. Remeber WHY Jesus came. And remember WHAT it means to be a Christian.
Don't focus on your sin, focus on your walk, and the sin won't be able to stay.
Active Christians threaten satan, not sinful people. Everyone is a sinner...but sin doesn't define everyone. Without sin, we wouldn't need a Savior. Let Him help you flee from it.
Scriptures: 1 John 1:8-10, James 5:13-16, 1 Peter 4: 8, 1 Peter 5:8-9, Romans 3:23, 2 Timothy 2:22
(Next part will be on the walk)
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