When was the last time you thought about being in the "grey area?"
I spent 35 minuets trying to figure out what I should write today.
Today I want to talk about being Idle.
No NOT [idol] BUT Idle.
SO. What is Idle?
I looked Idle up in my Bible dictionary we have at the house.
Idle-[useless, inactive, lazy]
This is something that as Christians we face everyday.
Lets see what God has to say through His Word.
1 Thessalonians 5:14- "And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak."
So what does this verse say?
There are three things that we as Christians should do.
-warn those who are idle
-encourage the timid
-help the weak.
That is very important. But here's another question that comes to mind, "What about those Christians that have fallen away and won't return to Christ?"
2 Peter 2:20-21 "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have kown it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them."
- Let us not get ourselves consumed with the world and lets be consumed with God!!! We should not take our salvation and what Jesus did for us for granted!!! He didn't HAVE TO DIE FOR US, but HE DID BECAUSE HE LOVED US SO MUCH!!!
Another question comes to mind...
"Should I continue to associate myself with the Christians that have fallen away and won't return to Christ?"
Let's see what God says in His word.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-"In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle, and does not live according to the teaching you received from us."
Wow. That is very hard to do. I know I have done that. We all struggle with that. In our minds we desperately want them to come back to Christ so we can have fellowship with [him or her] but if they choose to not come back then we should discontinue that friendship with that person. Last summer I talked to a friend who once was a Christian but then after his senior year in High School he decided to go back to his old way of life instead of living a faithful Christian. I asked him if he would ever choose to come back to Christ and he said, "No." That left me a sadness within me but I decided to not talk to him again because he and I were two completely different people. He wasn't the same person I knew 6 years ago. So we can't make them come back to Christ, and we can encourage them to choose to, but if they still won't change then we ought to just not associate with him or her.
So What if we continue to be Idle?
Thats one scary thought. I know we struggle with this from time to time, but what happens if we persistantly become this way?
Revelation 3:15-16- "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot, I wish you were either one or the other!" "So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
WOW. That is one of the scariest things to think about. If we are persistantly being unproductive in our Christian lives and not bringing others to Christ, we won't be able to stand with confidence on Judgement Day and we won't be able to enter into Heaven!
So lets evaluate ourselves and really ask the question, "Are we REALLY living the Christian life that God calls us to live?" Or are we just "playing church" when we come to worship Him on Sunday morning, night, and on Wednesday night? "Are we becoming lazy within our relationship with God?" I pray that you and I make the choice to repent of those sins we willfully commit, regain renewness of our faith and mind and allow God to use us and make us better servants for Him. We need to examine ourselves daily and to ask God to help us do the right things when we are tempted to do the wrong thing. Let's make it an effort to quit "jumping the fence."
I hope you are strengthened and encourged by this. We all have struggles, and we can overcome those struggles if we choose to allow God to be in our lives 24/7!! None of us are perfect, BUT we can follow the way Christ lived because HE IS PERFECT!!!
Take one day at a time and live this life faithfully in Christ!
Not only in speech, but also in action!
That is my prayer for everyone who reads this!!
I am also talking to myself as well. So this blog is for you and I!!!
God loves you!
Until I write again, Lauren :]
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