A Mediocre Existence

Jesus came to give us life and life to the fullest... John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal, kill and Destroy...

Even for a Christian we can have a mediocre existance. Our choices to clutter our life with the things of the world and to hold on to our self-centred comforts steal from us the joy and riches that come when we spend time getting replenished by the word of God.

It is too easy for us to choose not to fellowship or read the word, usually it is because we "just don't feel like it at the moment".

I pulled out a Bible with a friend once and she rolled her eyes.. I just wanted her help to get motivated to get into a study I was doing, but she saw it as work and didn't want to get deep, reluctantly we started reading..
After the study she apologised for being so opposed to the word. She loved the conversation we had and we talked about it for weeks. The study was on finding our rest in the Lord.

Sometimes we don't want to be in the Bible, even though it should be our book of preference as a Christian. I know Christians who have this same attitude. They would rather not hang around after Church, they never invite people over to their house and if you do discuss the Word, they always make it into a joke so as not to look too much into their own sin.

A mediocre existence...
God's plan is to turn old thoughts that defeat us into new thoughts that encourage us.
2 Co 10:3-5 "take every thought Captive"
Prov 23:7 "For as he thinks inside himself, so he is.."
Phil 4:8 Think on these things and put them in practice...

Corrie Ten Boom wrote "I've learned that we must hold everything loosely, because when I grip it tightly, it hurts when the Father pries my fingers loose and takes it from me!"

There are some Christians you simply cannot put a bomb under, they are consumed with their own life, the comfort of their own four walls, they tell themselves that they are fine. They are convinced that they are living the life God called them too.. I believe when the Bible says there will be weeping, that we will see the life we could have lived if only we had listened to His voice calling us along the way.

Our choices steal from us.. unfortunately some of us choose to to exclude ourselves from the race, to disqualify ourselves because it is simply too hard to deal with 'myself'. I have seen the attitude "I am happy doing what I am doing and just wish people would leave me alone to keep doing it"...
Well Christian.. If that is you - all I can say is - YOU ARE DABBLING IN SIN! Christ came to give you life, but you are supposed to Love Him, Obey Him and love others as He has loved you..
If you are stuck in your own existence, within your own safe four walls because that is what makes you comfortable, then you have been defeated by the enemy who came to steal joy and life from you, who comes to kill your spirit, who came to destroy all the blessings that the Lord Jesus has for you.

When Paul says he is running the race, he says 'forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead - Phil 3:13-14; he leaves the hurt behind, the lessons behind, he doesn't stumble then go back to the beginning again, he gets up and runs from that place.
                                             RUN THE RACE SET OUT BEFORE YOU!
So what if you have been hurt by someone at Church!
So what if you got caught in sin!
So what if you are tired!
So what if you just don't have those skills!
So what if you think differently to others!
So what if you don't have enough money or the nicest house!

Get off your backside!!!!! Nicodemas, come down from that tree and stop observing other people's lives! Be involved! Serve! Offer your body as a living sacrifice, set aside for Him and acceptable by Him! Get off your backside!!! Get over yourself and get back on the right path...

I get so sad for Christians who choose to do their own thing, to stay home and watch tv, who would prefer to leave Church early so they don't have to fellowship.
If following Christ Jesus is to love Him, know Him, serve Him, share Him, walk as He walked....
How on earth can a person call themselves a Christian if they are not doing that??? Simply put, they are no different to an unsaved really nice person.
WAKE UP!!!

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!!!!! And the Joy of the Lord will be my strength to do all things....

Please brother or sister.....PLEASE choose to walk with Him today, start by reading the book of James over the next week.. for God is good and he loves you, so draw near to Him and watch him draw near to YOU.
I realise I am being really forceful and in your face, I make no apology, if you are my sister or brother in the Lord, and this is the life you have chosen to live, then you need to take a different direction, it is not as hard as your mind is telling you, that is the voice of the enemy building a brick wall in your mind. Tap into the power of the Holy Spirit by asking for forgiveness and healing of your heart.. then run the race towards the goal for which you have been called by the Lord Jesus, you answered Him once, now do it again but with conviction.

May your ears be opened to His still small voice that calls you out of the wilderness....