“You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” Leviticus 20:26
I don’t this life thing figured out. Believe me. But I am thankful that I am a work in progress and I can see the power of God moving in and through and all around my life. I understand that this life is not my own. My life is a gift to attract as many people to the Gospel of Jesus as possible. And I’m responsible for how I use this one life. I want everyday to feel like Sunday. I want to have that reverent respect coursing through my veins. I want to shout praise for the many victories I’ve seen. I want to talk openly about the works of God like people expect in the pews. I want to rest in His presence each day (not in a “do-nothing” way but in a communion-with-Him way).
What I don’t understand is how so many Christians believe this on Sunday then compartmentalize God the rest of the days of the week. It’s like talking about God is only expected on Sunday morning, like praying only needs to be exercised in the morning or at night, like we have to do life on our own Monday through Saturday, but He can take care of Sunday. We’re human, we all fall into something like this from time to time, so this isn’t a chastisement, rather a wake up call or an invitation to take God at His word and see personally how much He wants to be part of our everyday.
It’s no secret that I’m not too partial to social media, though it does have some positive benefits, like sharing this devotional online. Honestly though, it’s opened up too much. It’s like social media was created to be a deliberate attack on the family, the realities of daily life, Christendom, and mental health in general.
Around major holidays, feeds are filled Christian quotes and inspiring Christian pictures. I don’t really like to even wander into these feeds because I see what’s out there every other day of the week and the year. Most people pick up on the juxtaposition. Fresh water and salt water can’t flow from the same source. Either our lives are a consistent work in progress of sanctification or their not. And people notice. People are watching the “Christians” of the world looking for truth. Christians can do a lot of harm or a lot of good for the kingdom of God.
Living a life that is a work in progress of sanctification is hard. Nobody said following Christ would be easy. Jesus Christ Himself said it would be hard, but He also said it would be worth it. Living sanctified is hard because the flesh wants certain things. But God said those things bring death and destruction.
Living sanctified is hard because the devil tempts us with a never ending Smörgåsbord of feelings or urges that we feel entitled too, but in the end, they lead to death. Anger, lust, coveting, pride, idolizing for instance; can these attributes really lead to death? Yes. Perhaps one turns from his ways, but how many people has he influenced poorly and been a false representation of Christ, driving others away because they don’t want to serve a God that
champions anger turned to violence, lust which turned to harassment or a pornography addiction, coveting that turned to thievery or irresponsibility in finances, or pride that proclaimed nothing and no one is as important as I am. Everything we do has an immediate consequence and everything we do has a lasting effect, not just on us but on everyone around us as well. The Bible says woe to the one who makes a little one stumble. This doesn’t just mean a child. It also means a babe in Christ, a person new to faith or the one testing the waters seeing what this faith-thing is all about.
Living for Christ means we are transformed! We are not the same as we were. We can’t let that sameness continue. We have to see a revival in the way we live each day. We have to be the change. Right here, right now. We have to live out God’s love to others first. We have to be the change.
When I finally realized, deep down and convicted, that my life was never meant to be lived for me alone, everything changed. I realized my life is a gift for others. My desires are important, but the Father can be trusted to bring those to fruition in His timeframe. My job is to lay my life down for those God puts in my path.
What does “Christianity” mean if love is not the ingredient all people sense in me. What does my life add if I don’t smile and share the joy of Salvation that trumps the darkness of the world? How can others see Jesus when I stay silent when I was supposed to be their voice? How the one asking questions about God benefit if I look like the world-fussing, cursing, lying, and building kingdoms that won’t last? Let’s be honest for a minute. If we talk about God or the Bible and we know it, in our heads, but our lives are a reflection of drudgery, impatience, frustration, self-centeredness, and invulnerability we are nothing but a hinderance to those who are hurting and in need of a comforting savior and a hinderance to those who seek a love that is sweeter than anything.
We have to be the people that say, my life is a gift for others. My husband comes before me. My nieces and nephews come before me. My sisters-in-law come before me. My parents and aunts and sibling come first. My friends come before me. Of course we need healthy boundaries in order to stay attuned to God, but everyday has an opportunity to bless someone else. The Holy Spirit will be kind and show us how. Sometimes it’s setting down work to listen to a friend. Often it will be lifting others up in prayer. One day it might be a purposeful meeting, another buying a gift. We can’t know what God might have in store on any given morning, but what we can be sure of is what He’s looking for in us, which is a heart, mind, and soul set on Him first, a spirit that’s available to do His work, and a heart that will carry it out. Live everyday like Sunday.
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction].” 1 Corinthian 13:1 Amplified
