iShineInMinistry

Joshua 24:15 ?...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We all have day-to-day, moment-to-moment decisions that have to made in our lives and sometimes our plans seem so small and insignificant. Even in what appears to be a small choice, we can open a door to allow other decisions to become easier, both good and bad. As we conclude what we are going to do with our lives, we absolutely have to make our decision to follow Jesus top priority; if not, we open the floodgates for small changes that morph into compromise, which then redirect us and can potentially get us out of God's will and on a downward slope to backsliding- we sometimes even fool ourselves!

We all know our weak spots- for some (like me) it could be coveting pretty things, for a single girl hoping for marriage it could be attention from guys (whether or not they are saved), for another girl binge eating could be the issue; or you can have other temptations that are easier to hide such as impure thoughts, thinking highly of yourself without outwardly voicing it (but it's seen in your actions) or being self-centered. I think each of these issues can really go back to being focused fully on self. This is why we have to completely decide to follow Christ. If we don't, we will forego the opportunities to die to ourselves and then skew our self-absorbed actions and little by little trick ourselves into thinking we are still godly and doing godly things.

We can pick out the things to do as our reasonable service that we prefer rather than presenting ourselves fully as a living sacrifice. We can be bossy leaders that pretend we are serving when we are in fact just telling others to do what we should be doing ourselves. We can love the giftings God has graciously blessed us with to the point where we stop even thanking Him for what He has done in our lives and take the credit for ourselves! There is no way to be a light with this kind of insincere heart...which is why we must decide.

We need to decide to give all of ourselves to Jesus; not just 30%, 70% or 92%, but all of our hearts no matter what the cost or where it takes us. We must decide that Christ lives in us and we have been crucified. We can't do this easy, breezy, cookie-cutter Christian girl facade and expect the lives in our sphere of influence to be encouraged as we only pick the 'fun parts' of our faith. We need to decide to fully follow God, to serve Him with all we have, without making excuses in those areas we may struggle in and be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. What will you decide?

Do you only choose to serve in ways you prefer? Do you only decide to follow God in similar ways that your friends follow Him? If you were the only Christian in your home or workplace, would you fully decide to follow Him or just go with what everyone else does? Do you allow a little extra compromise in those areas where you struggle a little more?

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.