"Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer, and give up your sins, even those you do in secret. Then you won’t be ashamed; you will be confident and fearless." - Job 11: 13-15
Over the past six years, there have been times where I coasted by when it came to following God. When I say coasting by, I mean I claimed God as my own, but my efforts to follow Him and His word were less than ideal. I submitted myself to the ways of the world every day, yet I still claimed I was a follower. I would tell God I would love him, but then I would sin against Him. I wasn't pulling my weight in our relationship. Was I really a Christian? Does just going to church every Sunday and reading your bible constitute you as a Christian?
In recent years, I have learned that, as Christians, we must constantly be on fire for God. I see SO many of us claim God as our own, and we may be living out some of our life for Christ, but you must give EVERYTHING to God in order to claim Him, and to really experience God's love to it's full potential.
"Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live." - Titus 1:6
So, who is God really calling us to be?
1. He calls us to resist all sin, even when it is challenging.
"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." - Galatians 5: 19-21
We will always be sinners. That is the one thing that separates us from God. As Christians, we must make a conscious effort to refuse sin. To some people, that may mean refusing sex and alcohol, or for a lot of us it means refusing gossip and judging others. You'll never be an expert at this, but that's the beauty of grace. You don't have to be. You just must make a conscious effort at refusing yourself. So many people see this as "following rules," but when you truly know and love God, you want to honor him in everything you do.
2. You MUST love who God loves. (Which is everyone!)
"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." - 1 John 4:19-21
A LOT of Christians have this part of following God so twisted. No, it doesn't mean to just love the tolerable and easy to love, or to just love other Christians, It means loving every single human being, living and breathing. There are no exceptions. Just because we are Christian does NOT mean we are above those that don't believe, it just means we are lucky and called for a greater purpose; to bring more people to Christ. The best way to do that is to pour out the love He has shown us onto those that need it. Do not be a Pharisee; humble yourself in the name of God and NEVER have the belief that you are above someone because you aren't submitting yourself to the ways of the world. Believer or not, we are all sinners, and God sees us all the same.
3. It is vital for us to serve others.
"The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers." - Psalm 37:21
Faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26) Serving others was what Jesus' life was centered around. To be more Christ like, you must put your brother and sister before yourself. This can be done in numerous ways; volunteering your time at a soup kitchen, helping your friends move out of their apartment, or helping you parents around the house. Any of these things constitute as serving, as long as you are doing it out of the kindness and love that was put on your heart by God. Every one of us is busy, but God asks us to set aside time to show others what He has done for us.
There are many aspects to who God is calling us to be. I'm still in my walk of faith, and I learn each and every day, so what I've given you is just touching on what is truly needed of us. The best way to know what God expects of you is to delve into his word, spend time with Him through prayer and serving, and spend time with others who support your walk with Christ. ✞
