Jayshaun Agosto does what it takes to succeed when it comes to basketball and track. If only God's people would take their faith even half as seriously...
Last Sunday I spoke about as Christians we need to strive to be a blessing. One illustration I used was of a person's life cycle, starting with infancy.
An infant cannot care for itself and must be taken care of. An adult is one who can not only care for him or her self, but is also capable of caring for others at the same time. The childhood/teen/young adult years are the training ground to adulthood. In our culture, becoming an adult takes decades.
But for a Christian, one does NOT need to be a believer for many years (let alone decades) in order to be a mightily used by God. It is not only possible, but should be. If a child like Jayshaun can do amazing things in the natural world, how much more a believer with Almighty God living in him or her?
Did you know that in other parts of the world, new believers are trained from day one to learn to feed themselves as well as feeding others? Those believers daily spend time with God and grow in their faith, share their faith regularly, and help others to do the same; and God's Kingdom grows exponentially because of it.
They think that this is normal for Christians. In case you didn't hear me, let me say it again. The international believers think that growing in Christ daily, sharing your faith regularly, and helping others to grow in their faith is NORMAL. It should be normal, but wouldn't they be discouraged if they found out the truth?
I've heard an objection to that being people in those other countries live in a different place and culture and can't be compared to ours. But what do those believers possess that we don't, besides a desire to grow in Christ and to help others know the blessings that come from being God's child? Is sharing Christ with someone any less difficult because the language and culture is different? No. In some cases those differences make sharing even more difficult.
Somewhere along the way Christianity in America has degenerated into mediocrity as the norm. People who try to do everything that God says are labeled "radical." But there is no such thing as radical obedience - either you are obeying or you are not.
If you are not living in a way that transcends your human capacity, stop deceiving yourself. The Holy Spirit did not raise you in Christ just so that you can look like those without the Spirit. Take time to repent and let the rivers of living water flow from your innermost being. Be the blessing.
