Christ - follower

written June 9th, 2008

So the last few months I've really been challenged with living like Jesus. How He wants me to live, what He wants me to do, and who He wants me to be. Like mentioned in one of my previous blogs, all He wants is us. But as I've been just lovin on Him and spending time with Him, I've been challenged with sharing this with others. I don't really think of myself as a lazy person, although sometimes this can be my natural tendency. So just being with God and spending time on me has been great and all, but I'm just not satisfied with it.

Tonight I went to a Bible study that at first I was hesitant to go to because of a few different things I don't want to mention here, but I went anyway. And wow! The ladies that were there had such a passion and fire for living like Christ. In 1 Peter 2:21 it says "Christ left you with an example, that you should follow in His steps." One of them started firing off about how she's disgusted with being a "Christian". And I agree. The world see's a Christian as someone who sits in a pew at church, is consumed in their Bible studies, their "Christian" social circles and the like. They don't want anything to do with us because they don't see Jesus in us. Jesus wasn't all about the Church. He was all about going out into the world and helping people. Healing the hurting, helping the helpless, and giving hope to the hopeless. He didn't pass someone on the street that needed help, He didn't push away God's whisper in His ear as a meaningless thought or think of why He wasn't worthy to walkin the calling God had called Him to.

Honestly, I haven't been very strong in this area. I use to be the friend to everyone - good or bad. I would go in to a friendship with the intentions to be an influencer and then end up being the influenced. Well, a few months ago God put someone on my heart to begin a friendship with. I pushed it back with the excuse of "I'm not strong enough to be an influencer. I don't have what it takes to stay strong in the midst of the temptations that this friendship will bring." But I still can't get the person out of my head. And I feel so convicted for it. .

I think it's time that the Christ-followers emerge from the "Christians". It's time that we take hold of the Great Commission - "Go and make disciples of all nations" Let's go heal the hurting, help the helpless, and show hope to the hopeless. After all we may be the only Jesus people ever see.

Someone I know blogged this and I thought it was a perfect end to my blog...

Let's take some risks in life - and I don't mean anything crazy/stupid.
Let's not be afraid to say what we mean and stand up for what we believe in.
Let's expand and reach out to things that are new and scary.
Let's make our lives what we want them to be instead of being upset at what they currently are.
Let's remember the times of heartbreak and continue loving harder the next time.
Let's make the changes we've always wanted, break out of comfort zones and take chances to make ourselves happy. This is the only way we can really live free.
Winston Churchill said:
Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe.
Let's take some risks so we can really believe.