It’s not easy public professing being a Christian. At times I’ve hesitated to publicly proclaim it because it is so easy to be afraid of the persecution. If you slip there are people just waiting to to take note and tell others. Slipping is the hardest thing because it is so easy to feel guilty. I know I’m not perfect, I know I’ve made mistakes and I know I will make even more mistakes. I’ve hurt peoples feelings and I’ve lifted people up and made them feel better about them or there situation. I try very hard to live the way God wants me to live this life. I try to be patient, to wait, to be slow to anger, to be a blessing to others, to fight the battle within my own mind when things are difficult/trying. I don’t claim to know it all, I don’t claim to have all the answers and I ask God for forgiveness when I sin. I try to be good to people and hope I can be treated the same but that isn’t always the case. I’m a Christian that suffers at times just as everyone does. I turn to my faith for support. I turn to my friends and family when things are difficult. Some days are easy and some are just a struggle from the time the alarm goes off. Yesterday was that kind of day and it seems that I may still be holding on to it. Not because I want to but because I’m human. Hey, things happen and you have to move on. People move in and out of your life. Sometimes you have to accept the fact that no matter how nice and charming and caring you are, people will decline your offer. Sometimes you have to accept their decline and move on. Just move on. That’s very easy for some people. They can just shut it down and move on. The funny thing about it is how I see myself still holding on to the “old” Chip. Turning it all over to God is not easy because we get adapted to the “worldly or earthly” side of life and try to manage things or our agendas by our own means. If we conform to worldly ways then we ultimately lose our spiritual path. I’m sure you’ve heard it said that “everything happens for a reason”. If you subscribe to that then doesn’t it make sense to just let things happen instead of forcing your agenda or what you want? My posture is that I’m here to live life to it’s fullest, to let my passion for life flow and to be who God intends me to be. To do that is to “let go”. It’s a fight. A daily fight. A fight (or having to wait) may last a very long time as it did for Abraham (19 years altogether), maybe just until tomorrow, or it may be until my last breath. All I know is that I’m willing to wait or fight or whatever God wants me to do. I will not give up and I do believe just as Jeremiah 29:11 says: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
January 23, 2009 at 5:43 pm
good read. i understand. God gave me the opportunity to witness to my oldest brother recently. for some reason, witnessing to unsaved family is hard…he listened (he was in a hospital bed and told not to get up!) but he said ” I’ll think about it” pray for my 4 unsaved brothers
love you
January 24, 2009 at 12:27 pm
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.