My Bible Blog

All In:

Something that I didn't realize initially as I became a Christian is that it is "all in." What I mean by that is that I must give everything to God, or I truly am not fulfilling his purpose for my life. 

I know that seems like a bold statement, and, in truth, it is something I still am working on. I'm not here to lecture you or threaten you to "give it all to God" In fact, I am writing this to show that it is not easy to devote everything you have to Him. There are plenty of articles talking about how to do this any why you should so I will not be redundant. Instead, I wish to talk about how I have given small parts of my life to God. 

When I became a Christian, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, like signing a contract for a job you know nothing about. I mean, you go to church on Sunday, wear a cross, and sing some songs. Easy, right?

Wrong. Of course, these are great ways to serve God, but, as Christians, we cannot be two-faced. We cannot act a certain way in church and go home and swear at our neighbor. (Though if your town is anything like mine, that is easier said than done). Still, we must try. 

Just last week, I drove home from church, and I met my friends for lunch. I was all pumped with those "feel good, do good" hormones that you get after you attend church, and I was so excited to see my friends. I had not seen them for what felt like forever, and I could not wait to hear all about their lives. However, I left that restaurant feeling more burned out and down than I had felt in weeks. Why?

Well, I have this amazing friend, let's call her Olive. Olive has been an absolutely wonderful, loyal friend to me. As much as I love being with her, she does something that I don't agree with. She gossips. Big time. We know the same people, live in the same place. It's just so tempting for me to join in with her. I never want to put Olive down, and I love having her in my life, so I listen. Sometimes, like last week, I do more than listen. I become consumed with the rumors, and I find myself gossiping just like she does. 

Of course, this is not Olive's fault. My words are my responsibility, but the entire drive home I felt myself making excuses. "Well, I said nice things... sort of" ... "I didn't mean to be mean"

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," they say. Indeed, I had not meant to harm anyone, nor did Olive, but I had not acted in a way that aligned with my values. Even if you are not a Christian, I am sure you have found yourself conflicting with your values and visions of "who you want to be." Therefore, this lesson in consistency and following through with what we say we will applies to everyone. 

As a Christian, I will explain why I find this consistency of character so important. 

Jesus, our Lord and Savior, played that part all of his life. He never got to pretend to not be God's son. He wore it like a badge, no matter if people reacted positively or negatively. Maybe I would have hurt Olive's feelings by saying no to gossip that day, but I cannot, with a clear conscious, go against the principles of God that I use to govern my life. 

Think about it- Jesus didn't get to just wake up one day and say, "I don't feel like it today. Maybe I just won't be the Son of God today." No, sir, he did not. Every moment of his days he devoted to God.

 Look, I know that he was perfect and that we are not. But remember, he died so that we could have salvation despite the fact that we're not perfect. Thus, don't be discouraged if you slip up now and then. I sure do, just like that day last week. 

I trust that as my faith grows, I will be able to think of God before I say or do anything. It is difficult to practice what you preach. I mean, poor Jesus was hung on a cross for doing so. But we must try. The only way for the world to know God is not if you read the bible, but if you live it. Remember, some people will never pick up a bible in their life. The only salvation that they may receive is you. That is an honor. We must act accordingly, no matter the circumstances. 

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During the writing of this, I read quite a few articles. Below, I wrote this chapter's bible verse, which I found in an article, and I post the name of one of my favorite Christian sermons on this topic. Thanks for reading. 

Matthew 6:24 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me"

Article (please read, it's awesome): 

By Sumas A.C. Chruch "You May be the Only Bible Some People Read, 1 Tim 4.11-5.2"