It has come to my attention many times and often that people say one thing but do another thing. Why is this? Well I am not one to speak on behalf of others, so I do not know. I've been contemplating how to handle this topic for a while now and this blog has been sitting in my drafts for a few weeks. I pray that I what has been on my heart does justice to this topic and can be put into words that you can understand.
"Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words."
In all honesty, it is easy to say that you are a Christian. Well...what is a Christian? I'm glad you asked: a Christian is a person who has professed their belief in Jesus as Christ and follows the religion ased on the life and teachings of Jesus. This means that you must admit that you are a sinner and are truly sorry for your sins, believe that Jesus came and died for your sins, and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life. After you have confessed these things in front of you new brothers and sisters in Christ, a change must occur. I'm not saying that this change will happen over night, because it doesn't. It take time...and a lot of it.
This blog is not for those who have just given their lives to Christ but for those who have been in Christ for a while, for those using their spiritual gifts to benefit God's people and His kingdom.
As the quote stated above, we must preach the gospel at all times and when necessary we should use our words. For those who do not understand: ministry is most effective with the life that we live.
Imagine that I am new to the church scene and I live my life how I want to live. If I see you doing the same things that I do, and you are trying to get me to give my life to Christ, it would make no sense for me to listen to you. You were at the club last night and you showed up to church late and in the same thing you had on last night, now you're shouting in church how God changed you? You are getting in bed with the whole choir, and you are trying to tell me right from wrong? You are constantly bad mouthing people behind their back and have the audacity to smile in their face? I can't take you serious. Why would I listen to one word that came out of your mouth? Even if you are speaking the word of God to me, all I can think about is the life that you are showing me.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisess, you hypocrites! you are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outsid but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything enclean. In the samy way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous jbut on the inside you are full of hypocracy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:27-28 NIV)
Not only are you hindering the worship of others, but you are hindering the worship and possible relationship that you can have with the Lord. We must serve God with a pure heart. It says in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God."
When they say that actions speak louder than words, they weren't lying. Before you can open your mouth to say that another person, "God is good," they have already seen how you act and what you do. Be careful in what you do, what you say, and how you act, especially if you are putting God's name out there for people to see. You are making it easy for non-believers to just throw in the towel and give up on God. He never gave up on you so show people why you call Him your Father, you way maker, you delieverer, you Savior.
I am going to end with this scripture and let you ponder on the life you are showing to others. In Peter 1:15-16 it states, "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Worried Christian?
I want to start this blog off a little differently that the others, with a prayer.
Dear Lord, I come to you praising and blessing Your Name. You are the One who created everything in this world and beyond and you still took time out to create me as the unique being that I am. I thank you for life more abundantly, for the people that you have blessed me with, and for everything that you have done for me. I ask that you use me as the vessel that I was created for, that I let go of me and catch a strong hold to You, and for forgiveness of my sins, known and unknown. May the words of this blog be pleasing to You and bless all that are able to read it. I thank You in advance for the blessing that You have placed in our lives. You are awesome and able to do exceedingly, abundantly and above all that we could ask for. I love You Lord. In Jesus name I pray. ~Amen
For me and many of my friends, we are close to the end of this semester, and this semester has been...well, it's been all over the place. Getting prepared for the future can be a lot, and I mean it really is a lot. One of the most quoted passages in the Bible about worrying is found in Philippians.
.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
A "worried Christian" should be an oxymoron. These words contradict the very being of the other. A question was posed in Matthew 6:27, "Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to you life?" There is a simple answer to that question: no! If anything, worrying takes away time that you could be productive in what you are worrying about. Think about how much time you spent worrying about a test that you thought you couldn't pass...if you took that time to study instead, then worrying would be pointless.
Worrying isn't healthy to you either. Proverbs 12:25 states, "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up." This anxiety and worry that you are holding on to is weighing your heart down. With a heavy heart you become depressed, miserable and alone. Not only is worrying something God told us to not do, but it affects us physically. This distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. These effects are very real and not good for your body. You can't praise the Lord with your whole self when there is something wrong with your body.
If God is able to cause nature like the flowers, trees and even the grass to grow, what makes us any different that He will not take care of us? Matthew 6:28-30 explains that God has caused the grass to grow. Grass does nothing to grow but be grass. We can't worry about the things in our lives when nature is growing all around us.
There was a lot to say about worry in the 6th chapter of Matthew. It continues to say in verses 31-34 (with an emphasis on 34), "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." So why worry? We shouldn't. I had to find a place to state my favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me." God did not give us the spirit of fear, nor worry, nor anxiety.
So there it is in a nutshell. Worrying is pointless and takes up time that we could use more productively. I may not have the answer to how you can get rid of your worries, but I can say that it is IMPOSSIBLE to pray and worry. If you are praying and worried you're not only wasting your time, but you're wasting God's time. He can't help you if you are not willing to be helped in the first place.
I will end with this Bible verse, and I will be on my way: 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) "Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you."
Dear Lord, I come to you praising and blessing Your Name. You are the One who created everything in this world and beyond and you still took time out to create me as the unique being that I am. I thank you for life more abundantly, for the people that you have blessed me with, and for everything that you have done for me. I ask that you use me as the vessel that I was created for, that I let go of me and catch a strong hold to You, and for forgiveness of my sins, known and unknown. May the words of this blog be pleasing to You and bless all that are able to read it. I thank You in advance for the blessing that You have placed in our lives. You are awesome and able to do exceedingly, abundantly and above all that we could ask for. I love You Lord. In Jesus name I pray. ~Amen
For me and many of my friends, we are close to the end of this semester, and this semester has been...well, it's been all over the place. Getting prepared for the future can be a lot, and I mean it really is a lot. One of the most quoted passages in the Bible about worrying is found in Philippians.
.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
A "worried Christian" should be an oxymoron. These words contradict the very being of the other. A question was posed in Matthew 6:27, "Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to you life?" There is a simple answer to that question: no! If anything, worrying takes away time that you could be productive in what you are worrying about. Think about how much time you spent worrying about a test that you thought you couldn't pass...if you took that time to study instead, then worrying would be pointless.
Worrying isn't healthy to you either. Proverbs 12:25 states, "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up." This anxiety and worry that you are holding on to is weighing your heart down. With a heavy heart you become depressed, miserable and alone. Not only is worrying something God told us to not do, but it affects us physically. This distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. These effects are very real and not good for your body. You can't praise the Lord with your whole self when there is something wrong with your body.
If God is able to cause nature like the flowers, trees and even the grass to grow, what makes us any different that He will not take care of us? Matthew 6:28-30 explains that God has caused the grass to grow. Grass does nothing to grow but be grass. We can't worry about the things in our lives when nature is growing all around us.
There was a lot to say about worry in the 6th chapter of Matthew. It continues to say in verses 31-34 (with an emphasis on 34), "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." So why worry? We shouldn't. I had to find a place to state my favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me." God did not give us the spirit of fear, nor worry, nor anxiety.
So there it is in a nutshell. Worrying is pointless and takes up time that we could use more productively. I may not have the answer to how you can get rid of your worries, but I can say that it is IMPOSSIBLE to pray and worry. If you are praying and worried you're not only wasting your time, but you're wasting God's time. He can't help you if you are not willing to be helped in the first place.
I will end with this Bible verse, and I will be on my way: 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) "Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you."
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