In a recent devotional from Billy Graham ministries I read something that provoked thought within me. It said that it would be wonderful if there was a shot we could give people in their arm that would make them nicer and do away with the problems that face this world, it would make them have contentment instead of being greedy and selfish make them love on another rather than hate, it would make them tell truth instead of lie.
This led me to think of the one thing that can change someone’s heart from evil to good, that is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Most Christians receive the Holy Spirit when they are saved kind-of like an inoculation like the ones you received as a child, or for some as an adult. Just like that we all were well protected from the evil of the world when we received the inoculation, but over time the strength of the protection has lessened and the world has helped, like a stream on a rock, it has slowly worn our protection down. Many of us are now not much different from the world around us that we say is so evil.
If we were to stand back and look at ourselves as through another’s eyes, what would we see? Would it be someone who is a good example of what is a good Christian, or is it someone who is a poor example of what a Christian really should be. The world wants us to become closer to the evil that it is instead of the goodness that the Holy Spirit exudes. The reason is that the world wants this is that it wishes to keep us from bringing others to Christ. As a poor example of a Christian, others will say why become a Christian? If there is no difference in our lives other than we are not allowed to have the “fun” that they do, why do they want to change.
Many of us, myself included, are guilty of allowing the world to infiltrate the loving, giving, caring person we are really and letting the world take over our witness of who and what we are. One of the best quotes i have ever heard is “you are the only Bible some people will ever see”. It is sobering to think that others lives are in your hands. The Lord has other ways to reach the people that you refuse to witness too, but your bad witness can cause someone who is on the edge to back away instead of believe in Christ and invite Him into their hearts.
Now should you be someone who is on fire to spread his name all the time? Yes you should! God needs fervent and committed followers who are willing to give up the things of this world just to get the things of the world to come. We all need to be closer in our walk with the Lord, not because he needs us, but because we need Him to
strengthen us. You and I can do nothing to spread God’s Gospel without Him, but we cannot be stopped if God is the one in control. Ultimately God is the one in control and the one who can guide our steps.
So the question is; do you think your inoculation is alright or do you think you need a booster? Has your witness gotten stronger or has it gotten weaker over time? Do you regularly build up your faith with reading God’s word or do you leave the Bible on a shelf and only take it down to look something up or even worse to boost a leg on a table? Another thing we must think of, is that if someone was to look at our checkbook what would they see is important to us? Where does the majority of the money we have go to. We are fighting a mind set that has been set up by the world we live in. I just now had to change what I was writing to read ‘the money we have’ instead of ‘our money’ because it is not our money any more than this is our life we are living. EVERYTHING belongs to God. He created it and us He merely lets us have it for a time to use. We must try to change our mindset to make the things no longer important and make God important instead.
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