This morning at Christway, Pastor Donnie did some
preaching. Not some watered down,
feel-good gospel sharing. It was a
“step on your toes” message that I definitely needed to hear. I found myself lost in thought
afterward, applying his message to my daily life. There were a couple of thoughts that stuck in my head, and
I felt compelled to share them with you.
I’ll make this short and sweet.
#1 - So many
Christians these days are “buying in” to religion; the feel good kind of
religion.
They want the mega
churches, the light displays, the goosebumps. But being a Christian does not require “buying in.” It requires SELLING OUT! God doesn’t just want your worship on
Sunday… He wants your thoughts on Monday, your praise on Tuesday, and your adoration
on Wednesday. He wants your time,
your talents, AND your treasure.
When surveying my life and my daily walk with Him, I always
consider my relationship with my kids and my responsibilities as a parent. Am I teaching my children to be
100% dependent on Him? Can they see that He always comes first, not just when it's convenient?
Am I guiding them toward a God-centered life, sold out and completely
dedicated? I sure hope the answers are yes, yes and YES, or else I'm failing at my most important job.
#2 - Christians today prefer row boats.
If you've ever been on a cruise ship, you know they are equipped with life boats (row boats). There has to be a backup plan in case of an
emergency. But our
Christian walk can’t be that way. We can't jump in a row boat when the seas get rocky and our ship starts to sink.
When Plan A gets too tough, we tend to look for a Plan B. With God, there is no Plan B. It’s all or nothing; His way or the highway. I have an obligation to teach my
children that there is no other option but Plan A - His way.
When times get tough, we get tougher. When money is tight, we don’t stop
giving. When we’re faced with
sickness, we believe for healing.
When fear grips us, we pray for peace.
“I am the way, the truth, and
the life.” - He said it; we have to believe it!
When the going gets tough, and we all know it's going to, we have to stick with God’s plan. We
have to teach our children to depend on Him in each and every situation that we face.
And we have to start
NOW.
I know that my boys will one
day grow up and make their own decisions in life. They may choose Him, and they may choose to stray. But I have to teach them to walk the straight and narrow, in case no one else does. That's MY responsibility. They have to see me make a conscious effort each day to take
up my cross and follow Him. I have
to lead them on a path that leads to God and pray that they follow.
They will never learn to trust in the
Plan A unless they see me trusting, too!
I'll leave you with this statement, because it meant so much to me. It's a great reminder when walking the Christian walk.
“ Jesus doesn’t need to be a part of your life, He needs to BE your life.”
