What Kind Of Example Do You Want To Be?
The life you live influences those around you whether you like it or not. People are always watching, even when you least expect it. The life you live and the choices you make can only lead to 2 things: Life or Death. WHAT DO YOUR ACTIONS POINT TO? Do they point to God or do they point to this world?
In 1 John 2:15-17 we are told,
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
Everyday we are making a decision to influences those around us in a negative way or a positive way.
All around us, people are concerned with worldly things such as "You have to do this or buy that! You have to be this way or act this way if you want to be accepted! The cool thing to do is this and that" but who really cares?? Do you think our Heavenly Father is concerned with any of this? I can assure you He's not! When we think this way and act this way we are looking for acceptance by this world, and let me go ahead and brake it to you, you will never get it. People think that if they do this or say that or buy this, or even hang out with a certain person that it will make them happy and it won't! By living a life that points the people around us to the ways of the world and the things in it, we are pushing them farther away from God and leading them to a way of thinking that only leads to darkness, whether it is in their mind or through their actions.
Romans 13: 13-14 "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
By pointing people to God instead of this world, you are actually saving their lives. Like i've said in a previous blog, The Lord is our Savior! He saves! He saves us from our troubles and our fears and He gives us peace and joy in the midst of all the craziness of this world. So wouldn't you most rather live a life that leads people to Jesus who saves us from our struggles or do you want to live a life that influences people to fall farther into their troubles?
Surprisingly, most people that worship God don't actually remember why they ran to God in the first place. A lot of times people forget that with Jesus Christ there is hope! With God, there is assurance of an incredible future and a love that goes beyond anything that you can find here on this earth!! A lot of the time we don't realize that by pointing others in any other direction but God we are pulling them away from the most important thing in their entire lives. As we point people to the things of this world we are saying "Run to this! This will make you happy! This will make you complete! This will take care of your problems!" when it won't. The only thing that gives us peace and joy and hope for a future is Jesus Christ. Are you willing to influence someone to run away from that? Philippians 3:7-9 "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."
John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."
