How do you focus on God, in a world that tells you to focus on yourself? We have social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and linked in. One tell us to focus on our relationships, another one tell us to focus on the pictures we want people to see, another tell us to focus on the thoughts we have, and the other one tell us to focus on our career. Even when I read inspirational Christian quotes, they’re all about what God can do for me and how I can do this or do that to get over my worldly problems. The pictures I see of happy couples, motivates me, encourages me to focus on relationships and marriage. I, we, become so consumed in what we see and don’t realize that these little things play a role in our lives.
...but what encourages us to focus on Christ first? Meaning what encourages us to focus on Christ by putting his desires first, even if it means giving up our fleshy desires?
As I deeply meditate on this subject, I wondered if that’s the reason so many Christians backslide or break-a-way from Christianity all together.
For the past (almost a) year, I struggled with doing what I knew the bible was telling me to do and doing what my flesh wanted to do. I lived in conscious sin, that I chose to live in, because I wanted what my flesh desired. However, living in my sin, didn’t make me happy. Living as a Christian made me happy up until the point, I stop getting what I desired. So, I guess that made me happy to an extent. Recently, as I began to think and pray to God. I realized that living as a Christian gave me more peace than living in my sin, even if it’s a temporary feeling. About a week ago, I was afraid that, I would become passionate for Christ like I was before, like most and then give into my flashy desires again aka the temporary feeling/fix. Whether, sex outside of marriage, worldly music, profane language and whatever.
God began speaking to me and I realized that I, like many Christians have this thing backwards. I was listening to a Francis Chan sermon and he gave an analogy and from that analogy, I thought about another analogy…and it hit me.
...but what encourages us to focus on Christ first? Meaning what encourages us to focus on Christ by putting his desires first, even if it means giving up our fleshy desires?
As I deeply meditate on this subject, I wondered if that’s the reason so many Christians backslide or break-a-way from Christianity all together.For the past (almost a) year, I struggled with doing what I knew the bible was telling me to do and doing what my flesh wanted to do. I lived in conscious sin, that I chose to live in, because I wanted what my flesh desired. However, living in my sin, didn’t make me happy. Living as a Christian made me happy up until the point, I stop getting what I desired. So, I guess that made me happy to an extent. Recently, as I began to think and pray to God. I realized that living as a Christian gave me more peace than living in my sin, even if it’s a temporary feeling. About a week ago, I was afraid that, I would become passionate for Christ like I was before, like most and then give into my flashy desires again aka the temporary feeling/fix. Whether, sex outside of marriage, worldly music, profane language and whatever.
God began speaking to me and I realized that I, like many Christians have this thing backwards. I was listening to a Francis Chan sermon and he gave an analogy and from that analogy, I thought about another analogy…and it hit me.
...Remember in the Old Testament when Moses went up the mountain to talk to God and how the Israelite s became impatient and begged Aaron to make a golden calf? The Israelites wanted to celebrate and worship something (temporary fix) until Moses came back down to deliver the message from God. That’s exactly what I use to find myself doing, like so many Christians do. We get tired of waiting for Christ so we decide to do us, until he gives us what we want. We build ourselves golden calf’s (idolizing marriages, children, homes, cars, careers) and focus on that first or focus on those desires only because of one of three reasons: 1. Jesus is taking too long to answer our prayers/give us our desires...2. You have no concern in dying in your sin. 3. You really don't believe the bible.
The Answer: Christians get excited about Christ when they are babes in Christ or new believers and then it dies down or people quit Christianity because we are more focused on our earthly desires. We are focused on the right now and what we have to do to get our desires met. I truly believe when we begin to believe that there’s a heaven and hell, a God and a devil, this world will end or we will die before it ends, and that we will be judged based upon our choices that we made on earth.. we will then, understand, that our worldly, fleshly desires shouldn’t exist or should come after what Jesus good and perfect will is for our lives.
and yes I admit, this is not easy. It took me trial and error, and almost five years to truly understand this. However, keep fighting, keep asking, keeping knocking [biblical reference]
The Answer: Christians get excited about Christ when they are babes in Christ or new believers and then it dies down or people quit Christianity because we are more focused on our earthly desires. We are focused on the right now and what we have to do to get our desires met. I truly believe when we begin to believe that there’s a heaven and hell, a God and a devil, this world will end or we will die before it ends, and that we will be judged based upon our choices that we made on earth.. we will then, understand, that our worldly, fleshly desires shouldn’t exist or should come after what Jesus good and perfect will is for our lives.
and yes I admit, this is not easy. It took me trial and error, and almost five years to truly understand this. However, keep fighting, keep asking, keeping knocking [biblical reference]
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