Philippians 1:27
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NASB
So how goes the one minute with God? I pray you are discovering just how much one simple minute can change your whole day and when you get off-track another minute can put you back on course. I want to take this minute one step further in regards to our place in the world. Things are coming quickly at us on a daily basis and sometimes it is so much easier to just try to please the world because it makes others happy. Well I don’t know about you, but in the end it is me and God on judgement day and no one else will be there to witness it. No one will be there to defend or slander me so why not live a life for the sake of Jesus and pleasing to God?
I understand people get offended. I know the morality of the world just gets worse and worse everyday, but we can stand against that for our God gives us the strength to push through it. Are you pleasing man or God? Are you more interested in making man happy than God and losing yourself in the process? Does drinking really make you fit in better? Does using bad language help you “connect” better with the group you are in? Does destroying your body with chemicals really help you move up in the world because it makes you cool? These are all devices of Satan and if we do not see it soon, we will be come overcome by the world. I am not saying we need to become loners, but we need to refrain from the beckoning of the world before we get too caught up in it and lose focus on what we were actually created for.
One minute standing for the things of God can make a total change in the atmosphere you are in. Now, whether or not the others agree at the time, you are still planting a seed in their thought process. Maybe they will think twice about where they are going in life. We are designed to be weird, different, awkward, uncool….. nothing like the world. We need to live a life according to the will of God, not the meanderings of the world. We are to set ourselves apart from the things of the world and yet love those who are here. We are all individuals and make our own choices, however, what guidelines are you choosing to use? Ones that secure a relationship with your Creator or ones which lead you further away from His promises and provisions?
I could take your hand right now and pull you into what I think are the things of God, but you would not be going on your own free will, you would be following me whether you felt I was in the right or not. Be who you are meant to be in Christ. He is calling you away from the world. He stands next to His Father and prays for us every minute of the day! If only we could return the favor. Take a minute with yourself and discuss the truth, are you really a follower of Jesus? Are you setting yourself apart from the world or are you just playing the part the world needs to see? God sees it all and I fail daily and fall short of His glory, yet I move forward because I know it is a matter of getting on my knees and asking for forgiveness and getting up again to walk in His goodness with the full intent of changing that part of me which is not pleasing to God.
A part of me feels like I need to apologize for how harsh this blog is today, yet the God part of me knows the truth needs to be spoken. Doubting God is hugely responsible for the way the world thinks today. Yes, sometimes God says no because He knows what will harm you and usually there is something greater He has planned for you. The world is easily offended these days, yet so I am I as I try to defend God. I know I need not defend God, but I do know I need to stand up for what is right in His sight. I do not have to agree with the world or allow parts of it determine where I stand with God. If I find myself offending someone then I know they need God in their lives and will need to pray they soon seek God in their life.
Wouldn’t you rather stand for the things of God and hear Him whisper in your ear, “Well done”, than to get to the gates and hear Him say, “Depart for Me!” This world creates such a battlefield sometimes it is hard to keep what is truly right into perspective, yet we just need to stand our ground and let God have our backs. He will be justified in the end and those who are choosing to live a life without God or a double life will reap what they sow. Believing in God or not the rules of the Bible stand for everyone, believers and non. Will you take one minute to stand for God today? Put on your full armor and go forward with the truth, trust me there is a whole army waiting for us to join them!
Post it as your Facebook Status today, even if it for just one minute: I am Standing for the Things of God, Are you? If so, repost!
Step Upon the Golden Road with Me! 