A friend of mine was approached by a teenager who lives near him. The young man said, "I'm a really poor Christian. I am so undisciplined, and inconsistent. No one would ever know that I'm a Christian by looking at my life."My friend smiled, and said, "What you've said does not worry me. The fact that all of this bothers you is the crux of the matter. You are concerned, you desire something more, something better in your relationship with God, and that says a lot to me about who you are inside. I think God is big enough to handle the rest if you trust Him to do it."
That was not what the kid was expecting to hear. My friend and I had the same conversation about 18 years ago when I told him that I didn't even know if I was a Christian anymore. And, it's advice that he has had to give himself on multiple occasions over the years.
2 comments:
Of course, he was NOT saying that all we have to do is BE CONCERNED. He would be the first to emphasize that a vital walk with God involves daily decisions we must make to follow Christ in tangible ways. That is, in ways which make a difference in our relationships with God and our neighbors. Often God requires death to self.
But sometimes we come to a place where we feel defeated and demoralized. In this case, as in my case years ago, the object is to encourage a person who is perhaps placing too much emphasis on their performance and not enough on the Giver of Grace.
One other thing: in both cases, his comments took place in the context of an ongoing relationship with a shared identity in Christ.
good stuff brother thank you for your warm words in response to my moms post. She will do the other 2 parts as she feels inclined i know your words and the words of all who have commented aswelol as those who read and reflect will serve as encouragers and healing ointment of the spirit sure wish you werent 3 hours away man lol we will definitely meet f2f again though count on it
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