What Are You Living For?

Ok, I have an important question for you; does your life reflect what's important to you?  Before you answer this question, think about these things:  What's on your Facebook page, your Instagram, Vine, or any other form of social media?  What conclusions would people draw about you if this is all they could see.  How do you act in public?  Mainly, away from the Church?  I heard the question asked before, "if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?".   Think about this.

Our lives should reflect what's important to us, especially as Christians.  In Romans 8:29 we are told that we are supposed to be "conformed to the image of His Son".  If we are becoming like Christ, people should see it.  A perfect example of this can be seen in the early church where people "saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.  And they realized that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).  As I look on at my life, I wonder if people realize that I have been with Jesus.  In order for people to see this in my, I think there are a few things that I need to do:

1. Study The Word- This is one way we can know and become like Jesus.  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God" (John 1:1).  He IS the Word.  This is reading about who exactly Jesus was and is.  When you have been with Him, you will study His Word.
2. Pray- How do you get to know people?  By talking to them!  This is how you can communicate with God.  Even Jesus prayed while He was here on Earth.
3. Serve- You want to do stuff for people you love.  If you truly love Jesus, you will want to serve Him.  Too many Christians spend their whole life being poured in to, and never once pour out the love of Christ.  Don't make that mistake.  Just as Jesus came "not to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28), we should do the same.
4. Don't Make Excuses- God uses ordinary and flawed people.  None of the people He used were perfect.  That's why we need Jesus.  But He will do extraordinary things through ordinary people.  Peter denied Christ and then preached a sermon that brought 3,000 people to Jesus.  Paul killed Christians, and then wrote most of the New Testament.  God can and will use you if you don't make excuses.  Just do it!

Lets get to that point and place where we can say as Paul said "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).  He is who we should truly live for!

-Sean Fryer