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....
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.
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?
No comments:
Post a Comment