Many times people say "I'm a Christian." Sure they live it on Sunday and their midweek services, but what about the other days? what about when no one is looking? How about when some kid in your school is being picked on and you don't do anything but pretend you don't notice? Why don't you look like a happy Christian? Why not smile a little more?
I believe that God has truly awakened us to what He's about to do here in PA. I know that He has touched my life and many other lives as well. All this week, I've been waking up and saying "I'm going to make a difference in someone's life today. I'm going to let others SEE God through me." And honestly, I can't remember waking up in a better mood than I have this week.
But I think there's more to Living Out Loud...
A certain verse came to my mind tonight, and it's so true... I've read it so many times, but it hasn't been more real to me than now...
"If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."
--1John 4:20 NET
We need to learn to put our differences aside and love each other, just like God loves us. This verse has never been so real to me until tonight... we not only need "Live Out Loud" but we need to "LOVE Out Loud"
How else can we be a witness unless we love each other? John 13:34 says that we need to love others as HE loved us. God didn't have to show us love and mercy. He didn't have to die for OUR mistakes. He didn't even have to care. I'm not sure why I'm writing this, but it's on my heart. So many times there are people (and we've ALL seen them) who say I'm a Christian on Sunday and then are in the world the rest of the week talkin' smack on people. And when I see that I just stop and I'm like.. WOAH! How can this be???
Here's a quote from one of my previous notes that I've written last year.. "The me Generation; A Generation that Knows No Love"
"Now He didn't die only for the people that where good to Him—no, He died for you, for me, even those who He knew were going to betray Him. How much more should we love others? How much more should we get out of our busy schedules to show someone God's love?
People also look at the way we act towards each other in the church. So much of the world has crept into the church and it's really sad. There's so much disunity and gossip and lying and hatred among God's people. And that's exactly what the devil wants—disunity. Mark 3:25 says, "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." If we (the church) aren't of one mind, it is easier for the devil to attack."
Brother Russ Cripps put it even better in his book ThirtyOneAnothers. . .
"God came down to redefine love, to show us that loving others is real love because real love is not about us, it's about them. We really don't know how to love one another. We must juxtapose the old love and the new love and learn to love others on the same level that Jesus loves them. In that NEW love, the HIGHER love, we place others before ourselves.
It is obvious that we all want to receive the love of Jesus. The real challenge lies in our ability to give love to others also---it's not just caring for them, not just loving them, but loving them as Christ loves you."
Like Bro. Handkins said this weekend, "What you believe, determines how you'll behave." I think that if we truly believe in God's mercy and grace, and how He loves us, that we will be able to love others with no regrets, no strings attached.
We need to "Live Out Loud" & "Love Out Loud"
L.O.L.^2
Thanks for reading,
Kristina<3
Link to notes referred to:: http://www.facebook.com/kr
No comments:
Post a Comment