It's funny how although I've become more used to writing these, I've gotten worse at choosing a particular topic as time as gone by. I always have so many differant ones boggling up my mind that it makes it so hard to choose. So I do alot of praying and see which one is specifically on my heart when it's time to sit down and write. Then there are times like this where I just ramble on and on. :-)
Some of the many ones that were fighting for first place these last few days were things like, how I'm still learning how important prayer is and that I don't do close to the praying that I ought to. How weekly visitation is so important not only as something we are commanded to do by Christ for the growth of the church and to win souls, but also to my own personal relationship with Christ. How that verse "That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof..." (Matthew 12:36) really means that every word that comes out of my mouth is something I'll have to answer to God for and how there are so many little things I need to "erase" from my vocabulary. No, I'm not a sailor in my speech, but there are times when I'm not a Christian either. And while some might see this as an extreme, I truly believe that I need to watch what kind of things I joke about because I am representing Christ, even when I'm "just having fun". How amazing the differenece is between days where I make time for Bible and Christ and days where I "just don't get to it"... How I really need to work on the whole "bringing my body under subjection" thing ("But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection..." I Corinthians 9:27). And of course the list goes on and on...I can't remember all of the ones I was thinking of the other day.
The Christian walk isn't a game. You aren't saved and "Done!", that's all you have to do. It's a day by day learning until the day you see Jesus face to face. It's always being willing to see that next thing you have to change because face it, we're fleshly humans and while our makeup is like Christ's, we have the mind of the world and that takes a lifetime to reverse. It's never allowing ourselves to "get comfortable" because that is the point that Satan has us in his sights.
"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 3:14)
"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." (II Corinthians 4:16)
"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)
This process is never over, of presenting our bodies a living sacrifice and being transformed by the renewing of our minds.
I don't mean to sound depressing and dismal. Just factual. This isn't really a debressing thought, but an exciting one! Life is an adventure with Christ! And each of these steps that we take, while hard to accomplish physically and of ourselves, when done with Christ, creates the sweetest relationship you'll ever know! That between yourself and your Lord who loves you and laid down His life for you. I think that we are getting lax in what we think is expected of us. If we don't drink, smoke, do drugs, or are involved in anything sexually we think we're set. But there is so, so, so much more to the Christian walk.
"For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God." (Hebrews 7:19)
"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."
(James 4:8)
With Prayers,
Sarah