Where has my focus been lately?
It's been on myself. What do I do next? How will I study for this test? What will happen to me in the future?
Lately, everything has been weighing me down. I feel like everything is so heavy I can't handle it anymore. What did I do? I fell on my face before God and began to pray. I asked him what I was doing wrong and what I should do about it. I quickly realized something. I've been going to my friends about problems and not God. I hadn't been seeking Him. I was seeking approval from others. I was focusing on myself and my problems. I wasn't being who I needed to be. I sought my own pleasure instead of doing things that would bring God pleasure.
Psalm 55:22 says,
"Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." (NASB)
I need to cast my burdens upon Him, not others. He will sustain me. I will not be moved. As Needtobreathe so rightly puts it, "Yahweh, Yahweh, Great is Your glory, You go before me." Dear interwebspace, I want you to know that I plan to put God first, and that I will cast my cares upon Him. I will focus. I will listen to the Holy Spirit and what He tells me to do.
If you're out there reading this, I want you to learn from my failure. Put God first. Go to God first. He will sustain you. People will let you down 100% of the time. God won't.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Angels' Example
So, I was watching one of David Platt's secret church services online. The one about Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare, and this point he made really hit me:
Angels are an example for us.
They remind us of the wonder of worship.
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” And again they shouted: Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!” Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” Revelation 19:1-8
Platt: "If angels find their highest joy in giving continuous praises to God, should we not also absolutely delight in doing the same? If this is the picture that surrounds the throne room of God, then how can we stand together in an assembly and worship with our arms crossed and a bored look on our faces? We are worshipping the great God and King and Majestic Ruler of all Creation. Give him the affection and honor and glory and praise he is due. Angels remind us that worship is not boring."
I was convicted.
Angels are an example for us.
They remind us of the wonder of worship.
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” And again they shouted: Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!” Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” Revelation 19:1-8
Platt: "If angels find their highest joy in giving continuous praises to God, should we not also absolutely delight in doing the same? If this is the picture that surrounds the throne room of God, then how can we stand together in an assembly and worship with our arms crossed and a bored look on our faces? We are worshipping the great God and King and Majestic Ruler of all Creation. Give him the affection and honor and glory and praise he is due. Angels remind us that worship is not boring."
I was convicted.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Faith.
I can only explain faith as trust in God. What kind of faith should the Christian have? I'll just let Jesus tell you:
Mark 10:13-31(NIV)
13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
20"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
21Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
I think that's the best way to describe faith. In order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, you have to have faith like a child. Kids have a lot of faith. They have faith that their superiors will take care of them. They have faith that their parents will feed them. They can't take care of themselves. Children exhibit total dependence, and that's what we have to have with God.
You can't get to Heaven except through Jesus. No man is "good enough" to inherit the Kingdom of God. Jesus told the rich young ruler, who said he had kept all of the commandments, to give up all of his possessions to God. He wouldn't do it. Will you surrender all you have to God? Or are you like the rich young ruler? The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Are you obsessed with being first in life? Or are you humble, putting God first, others second, and yourself third?
Things to ponder... :)
Mark 10:13-31(NIV)
13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
20"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
21Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
I think that's the best way to describe faith. In order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, you have to have faith like a child. Kids have a lot of faith. They have faith that their superiors will take care of them. They have faith that their parents will feed them. They can't take care of themselves. Children exhibit total dependence, and that's what we have to have with God.
You can't get to Heaven except through Jesus. No man is "good enough" to inherit the Kingdom of God. Jesus told the rich young ruler, who said he had kept all of the commandments, to give up all of his possessions to God. He wouldn't do it. Will you surrender all you have to God? Or are you like the rich young ruler? The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Are you obsessed with being first in life? Or are you humble, putting God first, others second, and yourself third?
Things to ponder... :)
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Love: Part 1
God's love.
How can one describe it? It's so deep and so perfect. When I try to describe it, I am at a loss for words, so I will try to approach this subject in the best way that I can. I often find myself asking "Why?" a lot. Specifically, "Why does God love me?"
God is love, and he shows the extent of His great love by extending that love to those who don't deserve it: Mankind.
You see, we people are deplorable. God is many things. He is holy, He is mercy, He is love, and He is grace. Humans are none of these things. Holy comes from a Greek word that means "separated" or "set apart." That being said, God is completely separated from sin. He can't have anything to do with it, which means that when the first human sinned, God could no longer be in communication with us because we were no longer holy and blameless before a righteous God.
God has existed for eternity past. He's even existed longer than that because eternity is an amount of time. God CREATED time and exists outside of it. He knew before He created mankind that sin would happen and that he would be separated from us.
Thank goodness that God has many aspects to Him, because if he were only holy, we would all have a horrifying fate. God's holiness says that we have to be separated from Him if we sin. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23 starts with, "For the wages of sin is death..." If the road ended here, then we would all be on our way to hell.
Sin is what separates us from a holy God, and sin has an ending: death. This isn't just dying, but it's eternal separation from our Creator. It is an eternal seclusion, and the Bible calls it a fiery lake of burning sulfur - the second death.
Thank goodness for grace and mercy, because that verse ends with, "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Jesus was truly a gift to mankind. We were all doomed once sin entered the world. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will have eternal life.
Romans 5:8 says, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"
We were dirty, and God sent his perfect, spotless Son to earth. His son came from heaven into our domain to be killed by us. That is love.
Why does God love us? Because He chooses to. He doesn't have to love us by any means, and we are definitely not entitled, as some think.
How deep is the Father's love for us? Oh, my friend, you couldn't measure it even if you tried.
How can one describe it? It's so deep and so perfect. When I try to describe it, I am at a loss for words, so I will try to approach this subject in the best way that I can. I often find myself asking "Why?" a lot. Specifically, "Why does God love me?"
God is love, and he shows the extent of His great love by extending that love to those who don't deserve it: Mankind.
You see, we people are deplorable. God is many things. He is holy, He is mercy, He is love, and He is grace. Humans are none of these things. Holy comes from a Greek word that means "separated" or "set apart." That being said, God is completely separated from sin. He can't have anything to do with it, which means that when the first human sinned, God could no longer be in communication with us because we were no longer holy and blameless before a righteous God.
God has existed for eternity past. He's even existed longer than that because eternity is an amount of time. God CREATED time and exists outside of it. He knew before He created mankind that sin would happen and that he would be separated from us.
Thank goodness that God has many aspects to Him, because if he were only holy, we would all have a horrifying fate. God's holiness says that we have to be separated from Him if we sin. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23 starts with, "For the wages of sin is death..." If the road ended here, then we would all be on our way to hell.
Sin is what separates us from a holy God, and sin has an ending: death. This isn't just dying, but it's eternal separation from our Creator. It is an eternal seclusion, and the Bible calls it a fiery lake of burning sulfur - the second death.
Thank goodness for grace and mercy, because that verse ends with, "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Jesus was truly a gift to mankind. We were all doomed once sin entered the world. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will have eternal life.
Romans 5:8 says, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"
We were dirty, and God sent his perfect, spotless Son to earth. His son came from heaven into our domain to be killed by us. That is love.
Why does God love us? Because He chooses to. He doesn't have to love us by any means, and we are definitely not entitled, as some think.
How deep is the Father's love for us? Oh, my friend, you couldn't measure it even if you tried.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Stagnance
Have you ever thought about your thought life?
I grew up hearing this in church a lot, but maybe it will hit home for you.
Do you realize that every sin that is committed starts out in the mind? It starts as a thought, then it's formulated into a plan, and then it becomes an action. This could be conscious or subconscious, but it happens and has happened to everyone. This is what comes natural to us. It's called our "sin nature."
Yes, ladies and gents, we all have screwed up minds. We are hopelessly, helplessly screwed up! And there is only One who can help us. His name is Jesus. He died on the cross to atone for all sin. He was placed in a tomb, and was raised from the dead three days later. Afterward he revealed himself to many, he ascended into heaven. That's the God I serve. And I want to continue serving Him daily.
Here's what I didn't ever hear in church... It almost seems like a given, but I never really thought about it. Did you know that our thought life also has a lot to do with our walk with Christ?
You can't grow closer to God as a stagnant Christian. You can't just pray a prayer, walk an aisle, and just be close to God. You actively have to think, "What can I do today that will glorify God?" You also have to keep in the word. Think of it as setting spiritual goals.
You have to have a goal set in your heart and mind in order to move forward in your walk with Christ. You can't just passively become more Christlike.
James 1: 22-25 says this:
"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
What I'm trying to say is this:
It's so easy to become a stagnant Christian. You can walk into a church or Bible study and soak up all of the God stuff you can and then get up and leave everything you learned at the door. Some people even do personal Bible study and have quiet time but still do nothing about it. I like how the author of James put it: it's like a person who looked in a mirror and walked away from it, forgetting what he saw.
You, my friend, should not be like this person. You can easily be like the person in James, or you can make up your mind today to be a doer of the word. You can put everything into practice. You have to look intently at the law in order to be an effectual doer.
In order to do that, you can actually turn that logic that I used at the beginning of this post around to use it for good. You have to think about your future progression in your relationship with Christ, then formulate your plan, and put it into action. First it will be a conscious thing, but with time, it will be subconscious.
That's the spiritual goal I've set. I want to be a more consistent doer of the word, and I want it to eventually be a subconscious thing. I've made that decision in my mind, and I am praying that that decision turns into action.
I grew up hearing this in church a lot, but maybe it will hit home for you.
Do you realize that every sin that is committed starts out in the mind? It starts as a thought, then it's formulated into a plan, and then it becomes an action. This could be conscious or subconscious, but it happens and has happened to everyone. This is what comes natural to us. It's called our "sin nature."
Yes, ladies and gents, we all have screwed up minds. We are hopelessly, helplessly screwed up! And there is only One who can help us. His name is Jesus. He died on the cross to atone for all sin. He was placed in a tomb, and was raised from the dead three days later. Afterward he revealed himself to many, he ascended into heaven. That's the God I serve. And I want to continue serving Him daily.
Here's what I didn't ever hear in church... It almost seems like a given, but I never really thought about it. Did you know that our thought life also has a lot to do with our walk with Christ?
You can't grow closer to God as a stagnant Christian. You can't just pray a prayer, walk an aisle, and just be close to God. You actively have to think, "What can I do today that will glorify God?" You also have to keep in the word. Think of it as setting spiritual goals.
You have to have a goal set in your heart and mind in order to move forward in your walk with Christ. You can't just passively become more Christlike.
James 1: 22-25 says this:
"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
What I'm trying to say is this:
It's so easy to become a stagnant Christian. You can walk into a church or Bible study and soak up all of the God stuff you can and then get up and leave everything you learned at the door. Some people even do personal Bible study and have quiet time but still do nothing about it. I like how the author of James put it: it's like a person who looked in a mirror and walked away from it, forgetting what he saw.
You, my friend, should not be like this person. You can easily be like the person in James, or you can make up your mind today to be a doer of the word. You can put everything into practice. You have to look intently at the law in order to be an effectual doer.
In order to do that, you can actually turn that logic that I used at the beginning of this post around to use it for good. You have to think about your future progression in your relationship with Christ, then formulate your plan, and put it into action. First it will be a conscious thing, but with time, it will be subconscious.
That's the spiritual goal I've set. I want to be a more consistent doer of the word, and I want it to eventually be a subconscious thing. I've made that decision in my mind, and I am praying that that decision turns into action.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Imitators
Last weekend, I spent some time with friends from out of town. It was a really nice visit and a relaxing time away from home for me. I was extremely blessed to be able to spend a lot of time around my friends' young kids, Cameron and J.Paul, because they taught me something that I feel like I knew but didn't understand.
The first afternoon that I spent with this family was so fun. I watched as Cameron ran around the house playing with puppets, then I saw J. Paul go grab a puppet to play with his sister. The next thing I knew, Cameron put her puppet away and started spinning around. J. Paul did the same. I realized very quickly that J. Paul was watching every single thing that Cameron did and then imitating it.
J. Paul looks up to Cameron. He wants to be like his big sister. I've seen it my whole life - younger siblings look up to their older siblings. My younger sister really looks up to me. It's a way of life.
You may ask me, "What does that have to do with anything?" I'm so glad you asked.
You don't really have to be taught to be an imitator. As a child, you imitate what other people do. My younger sister imitated me and still does. J. Paul imitates Cameron. Children learn entire languages by imitating the sounds that they hear their parents make. Children imitate children and grow up to be adults who imitate other adults.
Ephesians 5:1-2 says,
"Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you..."
I've heard that verse so many times. I've been told to be an imitator of Christ, but what does that really mean?
I think it means that we're supposed to be like J. Paul with Cameron. We are supposed to study scripture and see what Christ is like: how he reacts to situations, how he talks to others, and how he "walks the walk." Then, we're supposed to do exactly the same thing. Watch, then imitate. (Which means, my friends, that we should be digging into those scriptures.)
As I look around at others and look at my own life, I see that a lot of people imitate a lot of things. How many people who call themselves "Christian" are actual imitators of Christ?
As I watched J. Paul imitate Cameron, I thought about my own walk. Sure, I have some Christlike qualities, but am I an active imitator of Christ? I'd like to think so, but I feel like I have a lot to work on.
As I thought about that, I realized that I really need to strive more to be an imitator of Christ because when I looked at my own life, I realized that there are a lot of people watching me with some people even imitating me in my family, in my hometown, and even in college.
I want to be like Paul. I want to be comfortable saying, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ (1 Cor 11:1)."
You, Mr. or Ms. Reader, are being watched by someone. I don't know if you know it, but you are. Who are you imitating? If you're a Christian, I pray that it is Christ and this has touched you in some way.
People are watching you. If they imitate you, will they in turn be imitating Christ?
The first afternoon that I spent with this family was so fun. I watched as Cameron ran around the house playing with puppets, then I saw J. Paul go grab a puppet to play with his sister. The next thing I knew, Cameron put her puppet away and started spinning around. J. Paul did the same. I realized very quickly that J. Paul was watching every single thing that Cameron did and then imitating it.
J. Paul looks up to Cameron. He wants to be like his big sister. I've seen it my whole life - younger siblings look up to their older siblings. My younger sister really looks up to me. It's a way of life.
You may ask me, "What does that have to do with anything?" I'm so glad you asked.
You don't really have to be taught to be an imitator. As a child, you imitate what other people do. My younger sister imitated me and still does. J. Paul imitates Cameron. Children learn entire languages by imitating the sounds that they hear their parents make. Children imitate children and grow up to be adults who imitate other adults.
Ephesians 5:1-2 says,
"Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you..."
I've heard that verse so many times. I've been told to be an imitator of Christ, but what does that really mean?
I think it means that we're supposed to be like J. Paul with Cameron. We are supposed to study scripture and see what Christ is like: how he reacts to situations, how he talks to others, and how he "walks the walk." Then, we're supposed to do exactly the same thing. Watch, then imitate. (Which means, my friends, that we should be digging into those scriptures.)
As I look around at others and look at my own life, I see that a lot of people imitate a lot of things. How many people who call themselves "Christian" are actual imitators of Christ?
As I watched J. Paul imitate Cameron, I thought about my own walk. Sure, I have some Christlike qualities, but am I an active imitator of Christ? I'd like to think so, but I feel like I have a lot to work on.
As I thought about that, I realized that I really need to strive more to be an imitator of Christ because when I looked at my own life, I realized that there are a lot of people watching me with some people even imitating me in my family, in my hometown, and even in college.
I want to be like Paul. I want to be comfortable saying, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ (1 Cor 11:1)."
You, Mr. or Ms. Reader, are being watched by someone. I don't know if you know it, but you are. Who are you imitating? If you're a Christian, I pray that it is Christ and this has touched you in some way.
People are watching you. If they imitate you, will they in turn be imitating Christ?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Comfort Zone
There are a lot of words that I've heard my entire life. You have church words like, "saved," but there are other words that are used by all. One of these words is "Comfort Zone."
What is a "Comfort Zone," anyway? Because I'm lazy, we're going to call it CZ for the rest of this post.
As most people reading this probably know, the CZ is the place where you feel like you are in your element. It's where a person feels safe. For me, it's probably in a coffee shop. For you, it could be on your couch in front of your television.
So, why am I talking about the CZ anyway? I'm so glad you asked.
Many people have heard the Great Commission:
"Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..."
Matthew 28: 19-20
Most people translate that to: Go be a missionary in some foreign country. That's great! I have had my fair share of mission work in my local area and abroad. I plan on continuing in short term missions as God leads, but what about locally? How do people follow the Great Commission locally?
People normally think that since we live in the Bible Belt, we should just invite a lost person to church or a Bible study and then everything will work itself out in this person's life. More power to the people that this works with. But what about the people who say "No?"
Most Christians who receive a "No." when inviting a lost person to a religious function think two things: 1) This person is so lost they won't even go to church. Humbug, I won't invite them anymore, or 2) I'll just keep asking and maybe one day, they'll give me a "Yes."
I used to be a 2.
Lately, God has been talking to me about an alternative. This is where the CZ comes in.
As a young girl, I grew up going to church. Church was a normal thing for me. Sunday, church. Wednesday, church. Thursday night, Bible study. It was like clockwork for me. I felt like inviting a person to go to church was no big deal. That's because that is MY CZ. By inviting someone to church or Bible study with me, I'm asking them to step out of THEIR CZ into mine. It makes me understand a lot better why I get more "No's" than "Yes's."
What am I trying to say here?
Why don't we, as Christians, step out of OUR CZ into the CZ of the unbeliever? Paul did it:
"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it."
1 Corinthians 9: 19-23
He developed relationships with the lost, but he didn't veer from his Christian doctrine. What would that verse look like today?
For I am free from all men, I have stepped out of my CZ, so that I may win more to Christ. To the ________, I became a ________, always glorifying Christ, so that I could win the ________.
I'm not saying that this path is easy. If you are reading this and think that this alternative route is for you: I say that you should use extreme caution. Many have tried this and failed. They find that stepping into the realm of the unbeliever is too much to handle. Many have made compromise after compromise until there is no difference between them and the unbeliever. If you choose this route, please look inside yourself first. Do you truly know where you stand with Christ? Is your faith strong enough to withstand trials?
Could you step into the CZ of someone else and still be strong in your faith? People don't care who you are, what you do, or what kind of car you drive. What they want to see in your life is compassion. Do you even care about them, or are they another strike in your count of Jesus converts?
I challenge you: Step out of your CZ. People won't listen to the Gospel until they know how much you care about them. Once they realize that YOU are genuine, go ahead, invite them to church, Bible study, whatever. Maybe they'll say "Yes."
What is a "Comfort Zone," anyway? Because I'm lazy, we're going to call it CZ for the rest of this post.
As most people reading this probably know, the CZ is the place where you feel like you are in your element. It's where a person feels safe. For me, it's probably in a coffee shop. For you, it could be on your couch in front of your television.
So, why am I talking about the CZ anyway? I'm so glad you asked.
Many people have heard the Great Commission:
"Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..."
Matthew 28: 19-20
Most people translate that to: Go be a missionary in some foreign country. That's great! I have had my fair share of mission work in my local area and abroad. I plan on continuing in short term missions as God leads, but what about locally? How do people follow the Great Commission locally?
People normally think that since we live in the Bible Belt, we should just invite a lost person to church or a Bible study and then everything will work itself out in this person's life. More power to the people that this works with. But what about the people who say "No?"
Most Christians who receive a "No." when inviting a lost person to a religious function think two things: 1) This person is so lost they won't even go to church. Humbug, I won't invite them anymore, or 2) I'll just keep asking and maybe one day, they'll give me a "Yes."
I used to be a 2.
Lately, God has been talking to me about an alternative. This is where the CZ comes in.
As a young girl, I grew up going to church. Church was a normal thing for me. Sunday, church. Wednesday, church. Thursday night, Bible study. It was like clockwork for me. I felt like inviting a person to go to church was no big deal. That's because that is MY CZ. By inviting someone to church or Bible study with me, I'm asking them to step out of THEIR CZ into mine. It makes me understand a lot better why I get more "No's" than "Yes's."
What am I trying to say here?
Why don't we, as Christians, step out of OUR CZ into the CZ of the unbeliever? Paul did it:
"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it."
1 Corinthians 9: 19-23
He developed relationships with the lost, but he didn't veer from his Christian doctrine. What would that verse look like today?
For I am free from all men, I have stepped out of my CZ, so that I may win more to Christ. To the ________, I became a ________, always glorifying Christ, so that I could win the ________.
I'm not saying that this path is easy. If you are reading this and think that this alternative route is for you: I say that you should use extreme caution. Many have tried this and failed. They find that stepping into the realm of the unbeliever is too much to handle. Many have made compromise after compromise until there is no difference between them and the unbeliever. If you choose this route, please look inside yourself first. Do you truly know where you stand with Christ? Is your faith strong enough to withstand trials?
Could you step into the CZ of someone else and still be strong in your faith? People don't care who you are, what you do, or what kind of car you drive. What they want to see in your life is compassion. Do you even care about them, or are they another strike in your count of Jesus converts?
I challenge you: Step out of your CZ. People won't listen to the Gospel until they know how much you care about them. Once they realize that YOU are genuine, go ahead, invite them to church, Bible study, whatever. Maybe they'll say "Yes."
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