Convenient Christianity

Convenient Christianity. 

What is so convenient about Christianity?

It is a wonderful way to talk with my Lord at any time.  I do not have to go through another person to talk with the Lord.  I have a personal relationship with Him!  THAT is convenience because I never have to wait for Him to be there... He always IS.

But that is not what I am talking about here. 

My thoughts are leaning more towards what Christians show the world today.

A verse the Lord has been putting in front of me on different occasions this summer is this: 

Romans 12:1-2 - Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

I have done a lot of studying Scripture and reading Biblical-based books this summer and I find that many Christians compartmentalize God.  They put Him in a nice corner of their life and only "worship" Him when they need Him... or need something from Him. He is there for the convenience of:

A job.

A family member to be healed.

A sickness to go away.

A problem to stop.

I could go on....

The Bible stays on the shelf.

Convenient Christianity does not give you a relationship with your Creator.   A relationship where....

...He speaks to you from His Word.

...He shows His everlasting love.

...He may step on your toes.

...He may reveal a sin.

...He may reveal idols that you are putting before Him.

(Idols... really?  I don't worship any idol.... those Buddah looking things....  Yeah, I know.. I used to think the same thing.  However, an idol is ANYTHING you put before the Lord.  That includes good things.  I am talking ANYTHING.)

The lines between a Christian and the world have become so blurred that there is more "Convenient Christianity" being practiced than real life surrender to the Lord.

God is only for Sunday and then one can live his/her life in any way they would like the other six days of the week... and sometimes there are those who don't even give Him Sundays.

The "talk can be talked" when the time is right.

The only problem is, the heart is not where the talk is.

We want God on our own terms, not His.

We want Him to make life easy for us, never step on our toes, and never, ever have to suffer.

We want to live however we want and ask God to bless us in every way.


The Lord has stepped on my toes for certain this summer and caused me to rethink things I used to say, do, or express.  He has taught me that to be truly for HIM, I must surrender myself moment by moment and day by day to my own desires.

When my desires are not His desires for me, they are sin.

He desires to change me.  He desires to mold me.... to be better..... to be set apart... to be different from the world.

That means sometimes I will not like what I hear or what I have to do or change.

I am a work in progress.  We all are.  I have not arrived and shall never arrive until I see Jesus face-to-face.  What I am learning is that I must allow the Lord to change me.  To make me different from those around me. 

Are you willing to live for Christ day by day....  to give up things that you once held dear if the Lord shows they are not His way? 

Are you willing to live in a Christian worldview.... where every part of your life, not just Sundays, is so a part of Christ that the world loses its luster?

Are you willing to step away from the "convenience" of being a Christian and live for Christ even if it means to suffer for it?

We may think the world offers so much fun and joy, but it is only through Christ that our joy can be full.  

Psalms 16:11 - You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

The Lord is still helping me "chew" on what I have written and challenging me to become more like Him.

How about you?

DO something!

Do you ever gaze out your door at the world beyond?

Do you ever get out of your comfort zone and realize how easy we have it here in America?

Even our poorest people in America are richer than a majority of the world. 

As I drive or go places, I sometimes view all that we have in our country and all that people are still clamoring to get.

A majority of people are not really satisfied.

A majority of people are working for more money to buy the next best thing.

I am guilty of that.

You are guilty of that.

The Lord has been pressing on my heart for some time to step back and really see what is out there.  Last year, if you have read long enough, you may have read about the kids and I helping a group of friends with the homeless in our downtown.

That began my journey.

We weren't able to help our friends with the homeless this past school year due to school responsibilities with my teaching and the kids, but I missed seeing those people.  Those precious souls.

It began to wear on me that I had not been able to go.... to do something.

The Lord began to put a word in front of me when I was teaching my students about Jesus' ministry in Bible time.  It was a word I had taught about many times, but it became so much a part of my vocabulary this year while teaching His life that the children could tell me what word I was thinking.

What is that word?

COMPASSION.

Jesus had compassion on all He met... whether He was grieving over the loss of His cousin, tired, or dealing with His own beatings and death.

Here I am in America - the land of the free and the home of the brave and I can say I have had less compassion in my life than I should.

I have not felt the terrors of war at my doorstep.  I have not gone without food for days.  I have not known the horrors of being sold into child slavery or made to be a child bride.  I have not known what it was like to sleep outside under a bridge.  I have never gone without what I needed.... and most of the time I have not gone without what I wanted.

For the most part, if we want something we get it here in America.

Then, we sit back in our comfortable homes and say

"Look at those pitiful people.... what a hard life they live."

"I am SO BLESSED to be living here.  I am SO BLESSED that I don't have that problem."

"Why doesn't God DO something to help these people!""

..... and then we go on living our lives without the slightest hint of compassion towards others.

We are ENTITLED.

We are GREEDY.

And WHY do we think we are so blessed because we have SO much?  Is the poor person not blessed either?  I am careful when I say that now...  I am learning to just say I am THANKFUL.


So, as the Lord continued to work in my heart I began to read about helping others in different books I was reading, in my devotions, and then I kept hearing this song REPEATEDLY on the radio.  I highly encourage you to listen to it.....



I could not get away from the Lord telling ME to DO SOMETHING!

I kept asking Him WHAT.

Was I to get back into helping the homeless?  I must admit that one kept feeling overwhelming because of my school responsibilities. I didn't want to commit to something and then not be able to keep with it during school.

I honestly had NO CLUE as to what I was supposed to do but I just kept praying and asking for the Lord's direction.

At the end of June, a friend and I went to see Chonda Pierce - a Christian Comedian.  One of my parents had given me tickets and I had never seen her in person so I was excited to go.

During the last half of her show, she began to share about a program that helps others.  Guess what the name of that program is!!??

COMPASSION.

My ears perked up when I heard the title.  The Lord began working in my heart.

It is a program where you can support children around the world who live in poverty or in high risk areas of slavery/child rights violations.  Here is the link:  Compassion.com

I will admit, I had a battle going on inside of me.

Can we afford to give more money to something?  (I have recently upped some other things for the Lord so that is where this is coming from.... it was just Satan... purely him!)

Then, my heart began to flow with COMPASSION as I watched how these children lived with SO LITTLE and I have SO MUCH.

They had workers who were handing out packets of children.  Each child only has ONE packet so it was serious business if someone raised their hand to accept one.

When she asked who would be willing, my hand shot up immediately.

The war inside of me would have to go away because I knew this was how the Lord wanted me to step out in faith.

I got a little girl.

From Colombia, South America.

She is seven.

Her name is Shaylinsan.

If she were going to my school, I could be her teacher this year.  She is the age of children I teach!

As I looked at that precious face staring back at me, tears welled up in my eyes and I knew this was where the Lord was leading me.... and our family.

I didn't fill it out then because I wanted my family to be in on this.  I wanted it to be something that ALL of us would understand and show compassion.  I talked it over with Steve and he agreed it was the right thing to do.  The kids were excited, too.

I am excited about getting to know our new little friend.  A child who will now be taught about Christ through the Compassion program and get help.  I know there are many other programs like this in the world, and I am thankful.  This one is the one the Lord chose for us to do.

I am BLESSED because the Lord chose Shaylinsan for us.  I pray we will be a blessing to her....

.... and maybe one day I will actually get to meet her in person as many have done with their Compassion child.

I didn't write all of this for people to "pat me on the back" and tell me "what a great thing you are doing!"

I wrote it because I want to encourage you all to....

DO SOMETHING for the Lord.

Be His hands and feet.