Skip to main content

Give to Get

    From the outside looking in, many people look at Christians for what they give up. They see them avoiding all the "fun" things of life and don't understand why. This is a huge misconception in the eyes of the world and likewise in the eyes of the Christian community. I daresay most of us do not even understand why we give up so much and resolve that it is just the "Christian" thing to do. But I want to point out that it is not about what you give up, but what you gain.

    Jesus has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. At first we are living in darkness and do not recognize what is good and what is evil. This is why He gave us His word. It shows us in black and white what is beneficial and what is harmful to us. God never intended for us to live a boring life without things that are pleasurable. In fact, He intended the opposite! But the world's idea of what is good is only pleasurable to the flesh. What Jesus calls good nourishes our Spirits.

    Do not be afraid to lay it all down for Him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. The things of the world cannot truly satisfy you. Don't think of what you are giving up in the flesh, but instead focus on the eternal satisfaction that you are gaining in Him. It is a gift that you cannot receive except through Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can give you everything you need to satisfy your soul.

Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. (NIV)
Mark 8:36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? (NLT)

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (ESV)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Listen Up

    Is Jesus talking to you? I hear many people wonder how to hear God's voice and what to listen for. I want to offer a bit of wisdom on the topic. If you are wondering if God is talking to you, the answer is yes. We were designed to have a relationship with our creator and He is always there trying to get ahold of you if you'll only pay a little attention.     How does God communicate with us? The first way is through His word. Those are direct words from God Himself, written through His people. The Bible is our instruction manual to life. Whatever difficulty we may be facing, there is always an answer in scripture. God, having known every need before we ever needed it, has already provided an answer. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (ESV)     The second way God communicates with us is by talking directly to us. Just like Adam and Eve spok...
Post a Comment
Read more

Multiplication Without Division

    The church environment is made to be the body and the family of Christ. We are supposed to love each other and support each other through everything. Sadly, this is not the attitude of most churches in America today. Unfortunately, many people bring the world into the church instead of bringing the church into the world.      A lot of people use the church as a place where they can jockey for positions and get recognized for their talents. They use it as a place where they can judge and condemn others from the safety of their own elite clique. They look down condescendingly on those they see sinning, while sweeping their own sin under the rug.  They cause division. This attitude comes straight out of the world without Christ.  Matthew 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (NIV)     A church is a place where we exalt Jesus and ...
2 comments
Read more

Humble Pie

    One of the most valuable characteristics in our walk with Christ is humility. When we have the ability to humble ourselves before Jesus and accept His leading, we go far. But problems arise when we force our own way. Humility is a characteristic that allows us to accept correction and truth and grow stronger because of it. Pride keeps us tied down and unable to grow up in Christ.     We have our brothers and sisters around us to keep pointing us to Jesus. That means helping us through areas not aligned with Him and combating those areas with the truth. But if we get angry and reject those people, we miss out on growing up for sake of being "right" and lose the people Jesus put in our lives for His sake. It doesn't matter if we are right but only that we follow what Jesus calls right and good. He is the one true judge and if we respect His ultimate goodness and authority, we should aim to follow in His ways.     Do not let your pride stunt your spiri...
Post a Comment
Read more