It's hard to follow Christ in a world that will condemn it. And with a culture that is not going to applaud you for being a Christian, it is so much easier to just walk away. Majority of Christians at this age fall away from Christianity two years after graduating high school because it is so much easier to follow the world.
And before you say, "That's not going to be me," think about this: are you willing to count the cost and live for Christ? Because the world isn't going to approve of you living for Christ. Even your friends and your family may not applaud you for it. You will be called names. You will get rejected by people.
So, are you willing to live for Christ now?
It is written, "If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else -- your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple," (Luke 14:26-27 NLT).
This basically means that regardless of what other people think or say, if we are His disciple, we are to live for Him and only Him, not for ourselves and not even for our closest family members.
Here's an example: Let's say that you feel led to go out and preach the Gospel to other nations as a missionary: God has equipped you for the job, He has prepared you, and everything is working out for it. But, your parents don't think you should do it. "You won't get enough money," they say. So in that situation, who will you live for? Will you seek the acceptance of your parents and find a new job, or will you follow what God has called you to do?
There are some people who will choose their parents in this situation and turn away from what God has called them to do.
Who are you seeking approval from? Do you want the world's approval or do you want God's?
There are some Christians who say they believe in the Bible, but, when they hear or see what the world is saying, they'll set the Bible down, they'll put down what they "believe", and follow the rest of the world. If they truly believed in the Bible, if they truly believed, would they have turned their back on the Word? Would they have turned their back on God so they could be accepted/approved by the world? No, they wouldn't have.
If you are truly seeking God, if you truly want to be in a relationship with the Father, you wouldn't seek for the approval of the world.
Galatians 1:10 NLT says, "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant."
So, who are you living for the acceptance of?
Don't change what you believe or how you live in order to blend in. We are called to be set apart, we are not called to act like the rest of the world.
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice -- the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don't copy the behavior and the customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." ~ Romans 12:1-2 NLT
Do not conform to the ways of the world. Live in a way that is pleasing to Him. In order to do this, our hearts need to be transformed. We need to allow God to break down all that we have built, all that we know, and build it back up again. We need to prioritize Him and His Word above everything else. To put Him first in our lives and to commune with Him daily. We also must live with an eternal perspective. "But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven," (Matthew 10:33 NLT). Why gain the whole world and lose your soul? "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?" (Luke 9:25 NLT). And lastly, Scripture must become our true authority. We must live by the Word and put it into practice in our lives.
So, are you willing to sacrifice everything to live for the Lord or are you going to walk away? Are you going to be all in or all out? We cannot be partially in and partially out. "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" (Revelation 3:15-16 NLT). Do not be a lukewarm Christian! Either be all in or all out.
So, are you in? Are you willing to live your life for God despite the cost?
If you said yes, that means you are willing to to walk the opposite way of the rest of the world. That means you are willing to put God as a priority in your life. That means you are willing to learn the Word and apply it to your every day. That means that you will not conform to the rest of the world despite what other people say.
So, are you willing to live for Christ?
In Psalms 63, David longs for God's presence so vividly that he eats, drinks, and sees God's goodness. Though worn out and harassed by the wicked, he sees God, and this animates him with praise. God becomes his life, while the wicked perish. ~ Written in my NLT Study Bible
God was David's life. He was David's priority? Will God be your priority?
So, ask yourself these questions: where are my priorities? Where is my heart at? Where am I seeking approval? Who or what am I being discipled by?
So, will you conform to the world or are you ready to live a life for the Lord? Are you willing?
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