What is your life?
People, pastors, and the Bible talk about giving your life to Christ. But what is the scope of what we understand our lives to be? Thank God even though we don’t fully understand and are not perfect we can always start the journey to giving Christ our lives with accepting Jesus as our savior!
So, what is your life?
Your life is built; it is the moments and items and people you choose to be around and spend your time with. Whether you like your job, house, or family it is your choice daily what you do. So that is your life in a nut shell.
What does Jesus want when He says to give your life to Him? To follow Him?
I think there are 2 mainstream ways the world and the church understand this.
The first way is
To keep your life where it is but have Jesus over take every aspect of it.
The same job, but you represent Jesus
The same family but you represent Jesus
The same people around you but you represent Jesus.
Sounds good right? Sounds simple?
If people do that, truly, everyone will see a difference. You might lose friends and family; you will be persecuted somehow. Jesus promises that. But you do it for the Lord, that is good!
The second way is
You leave part of your life, such as a job, friends, family. Move somewhere God is calling you in the world. Maybe with or without spouse and children. You become a missionary of Jesus to reach lost souls for the kingdom of God. Some people spend their whole lives out there serving God. God bless them because it is hard!
Another way I think is not so accepted or wanted is the third way
Not so mainstream or popular, God takes you without knowing it is coming. It may be in a good way but most often it is harsh, quick and without your permission. God needs to put you somewhere and will use any means He chooses. The only thing you can do before hand is live in God’s will so when this happens you accept it is God and for a purpose.
I identify mostly with the third way because I am living it but that doesn’t make it easy. God even showed us the possibility ahead of time but the beginning was harder than anything I have dealt with before. Only God got me and us (my brothers and father) through the beginning and taught us to live and fully depend on God.
Let’s look at some Bible stories and characters that lived very different ways but it was all in God’s will.
P.S. Read all these stories in the Bible if you haven’t yet!
Joseph in Genesis 37-50
A beautiful story and example of the third way. Joseph one day was with his dad and brothers and the next a slave being taken to another country. In the end we see how it was always God’s Will.
Moses Exodus 2 and the rest of the book
Moses lived 40 years in royalty how he wanted. He wasn’t living for God and killed a man. He didn’t need to leave but did out of fear. God used this for His Will. I see this as an example of the second way even though he left all behind, he could choose and wasn’t forced.
Let’s jump ahead in the Bible to King Solomon. 1st kings
He grew up under a godly King. He knew he would be king. Stayed and lived for God where he was. The first way.
He didn’t have to give up where he lived or family He did have persecution from family and places but he lived a life of abundance not sacrifice and it showed later in life when he sinned against God.
God doesn’t just use “good people” (hint there is none truly good) He uses all types of people we wouldn’t expect. Even evil people God uses to serve His purposes then give them justice.
An example of God’s will on an evil man.
In Daniel 5 king Belshazzar blasphemes God in many ways. God says he is done and his kingdom is over. Next day he dies from an enemy conquers. Even people not living for God will experience the ways God moves lives.
This is an example of the third way!
Samson, Judges 13-17
When I read of Samson, I don’t see a man loving and serving God but God uses him anyway. This is an example of the first way, He gave God as much of his life that he wanted to give which was not much and lived more for himself.
There are many more examples and sometimes the same person at different times in their lives have different ways God used and moved their lives!
Adam, Noah, Elijah, David, Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel and the 3, Nehemiah, all the Prophets, Mary, The Pharisees, the Disciples, Rules and Kings, Ultimately Jesus who knew He would come to the world, gave up everything to live for God’s Will.
example of the second way, giving all of Himself!
I am glad God made a better way to live for Him. Jesus came, all is new!
The Spirit living in us tells us when we are not living for God or not doing enough (Hint we can never do enough for God but the Spirit in us shows God is pleased with a willing heart!)
With all that happens in our lives we look back and wish we had our “lives back” but after God does a move in our lives it is new and we don’t go back to the way things were. That is okay, if you trust in God and live in His hands your life is solid and no one can take you from His hands!
While writing this newsletter I felt more and more God telling me that my life is not of when to get out of jail but what me (and my brother’s) story is to the world showing faith in God. We look at the stories in the Bible and we are awed by the faith of the men in there. I do not speak to uplift myself but me and my family stood simply on faith against a wicked system because we believe God would use us for His glory. Sure, God could have never allowed us to be put in jail, never let the enemy overcome us or shame us but He chose a way that glorifies Himself more than we could imagine. I do not understand it all right now and maybe never will but all I want to hear from my Lord is “Well done”
God bless you all, Thank you for all your support
Please continue to pray for my family especially the health
of myself and Jonathan while we are here in prison.
A son of God through Grace of Jesus Christ!
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