Devotional after devotional I’ve said that being a Christian, is not something for the weak minded. Simply put, it’s not easy! However – choosing to be a Christian is what sets you apart from the rest of the world. It’s what I truly believe makes a good person. If you don’t choose to believe in God, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not a good person, or it’s impossible for you to be one, but Christians are truly more likely to live blessed and better lives because of the choices and decisions set before them.
In contrast, being a Christian has its easy side as well! For example, developing a relationship with the Lord is easy as… being a Christian! Now raise your hand if you’re confused. If you raised your hand… take a moment to look at your hand and realize how you might look right now. You thought it, not me! All jokes aside, the concept is pretty simple. The easiest way to develop a relationship with Christ is being a Christian. Again, being a Christian calls you to make the right decisions. This includes putting yourself in situations that will keep you free from sin, hanging around people who support your religious belief and wouldn’t put you in situations that would make you do things that aren’t of God, and continually informing yourself on what is right and wrong.
Fresh out of my teen years and rapidly approaching adulthood, I can look back on my youth, over all my experiences and say I’ve learned a lot along my Christian walk, and as I continue to grow I look towards the future and see I still have much to learn. Just looking back now and thinking about my friends and the people I use to hang with, I think to myself if I died tomorrow, never saw them again, or even if they were asked if I was a Christian now, only a handful of them would be able to say I believed in God. In the same token though, I believe a lot of them could say I was a good person or a good friend. I can admit to my spiritual weakness back then, and can say I gave in to their requests and did many ungodly things. After I renewed myself within Christ however, I did turn around for the better. I then made the decisions a strong Christian makes, and was able to tell my friends “no” when asked to go out to the club, or when I thought I’d be put into a situation that wasn’t good for my relationship with God. You as a Christian have to be strong-minded enough to make these decisions on your own. Your friends might not understand. This is one way to put people who support your belief around you. If you find they don’t want to be your friend anymore because you’re choosing to do what you believe in – then ask yourself how much of a friend are they? True friends stand out among the rest.
Putting yourself in safe situations also takes discipline. Your friends aren’t to blame for this either. You as a Christian – knowing what is right – have to know the consequences that will come from your future actions. So spend a lot of time thinking before you act. That’s something I live by. The best way to stay free from sin is to stay clear from it. Your words are just as important as your actions as, so watch what you say! A lot of my friends have disagreed with me about cursing being a sin. Many don’t realize that sin is “knowing” or “realizing” something is wrong, and “doing it anyway”.
This leads me into my next discussion. How do you know what is right? Or how do you find out rather? I personally, look to the word for an understanding of what’s right by God. Depending on man alone is irresponsible and can at times be misleading. No one is more responsible for your salvation than you. Going to church – by far – is not a bad idea to look for guidance. If anything, church is the one environment you should most definitely be affiliated and involved with. This allows for an opportunity to surround yourself with the right type of people. But the Word you may hear there gives purpose and hunger to find them and confirm for yourself within the Bible.
There is surely more to being a Christian and strengthening your relationship with Christ. Doing the right thing is the easiest way and a great start to working towards this. The hard part is disciplining yourself into doing these things, especially when it’s not what you really want to do. And with all that said, this is the end to this month’s devotional… Finally, right?
Be blessed and stay blessed, family!
- C.j.
Friday, February 20, 2009
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