Where are you?

Worldly wisdom recommends the path of compromise and talks of “moderation.” According to this carnal policy, purity is agreed to be very desirable—but we are warned against being too picky. Truth may certainly be followed—but error is not to be severely denounced. “Yes,” says the world, “be spiritually minded by all means, but do not deny yourself some pleasurable society, an occasional party, or some of the world’s entertainment. What’s the good of avoiding something when it is so fashionable, and everybody does it?”  C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening.

Where are you?  Where are you on this scale called your life?  I have been in the position of being pretty much told as Spurgeon wrote for this day.  That oh you are being too serious.  Lighten up.  Don't be like that.  It's probably, besides the fact that I love many instrumentalists, that the Benny Goodman Story resonates with me to some degree.  He had a song called "Don't Be That Way".

"Oh lighten up! Have fun!"
"Don't be a stick in the mud!"

Many other ways it has been said.  Some have seen a t-shirt that says something about being too serious about Jesus, that I don't know, He was pretty serious when He died for me on the Cross.

The whole entertainment world would be in jeopardy if Christians would listen to what Spurgeon wrote for today. 

Those in your life wouldn't know how to handle you if you took Jesus more seriously. 

Let me tell you something.  I have gained far more than I appear to have lost in my relationship with Jesus.  I have a peace the world cannot buy.  That kind of currency is only coming from God.  No where else.

Oh you're going to miss out on all the fun!

Hate to break it to you but Christians have fun too.  Just not at the all out expense of others like the world does.  To mimic that point the world tries to give everyone a trophy.  Make everyone equal.  Well only in sin is everything and everyone equal.

Only in Christ are we set apart.  This world is not my home.  I am an alien and stranger here.  My home is in Heaven.  What the world values honestly is rubbish.
Oh people who aren't living a Christian life will never understand it.  So don't expect them to.  Scripture doesn't tell you to educate, says let your light shine.  Doesn't tell you to fix others, says to call upon the one who can.

I have not been through as much as others, certainly not to the extent as many who lose their very lives over standing on the Word of God.  But it's there. 

We who are Christians are told to take up our Cross and follow Christ.  The cross in those days was two parts. The long section and the crossmember that goes across from wrist to wrist. Either part is incredibly heavy on its own.  But either can be carried if you let go of everything else in your hands.

So are you in this life to enjoy it for yourself or are you in it to obey God?

Worldly issues are important but the relationship with Jesus is THE most important.  The Amish may try to live, as many of them do, apart from the influences of the world but they cannot escape those influences.

How seriously do you take living for Jesus?  It's another question that I cannot answer for you.  Are your thoughts and intentions about you all the time, is Jesus there at all?  Are you so into everything else that there's no room for Jesus?

Is your career so important that there's no room for Jesus?

Are you so into so much that if you find time, you'll talk to Him? 

Be honest with yourself.

Right here.  Right now.

Don't let the list of excuses grow by even one more.

Jesus took YOUR place on a cross. He was tortured for YOU.  He was whipped for YOU.  He who knew no sin was made to be sin on your behalf. As Scripture says.

So how do you repay this? 

Hate to break it to you.  But if you look back on your life and all you see is you.  You have a problem.

If a movie were made of your life would Jesus even be in the credits?

There's a kind of life that cannot be explained, but only experienced, when you live for Jesus.  Yes there are joys and pains but Jesus is there with you through them.  When you leave Him behind then it is you going through them. 

Oh I've done this, I've done that. God doesn't care if I do this...

Well, yes, He does.

God doesn't sleep.  He is always watching. 

There's a shirt that I want that spells it out for me.

I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world, than stand with the World and be judged by God.

If people think that I am too serious about God, oh well, not my problem. 
If people wrongly believe that I am not enjoying life, again, not my problem.
If people want to nitpick me about what I believe, for standing on God's Word, bring it on.
If people want to avoid me because I believe in Christ, I will pray for them.  I won't return the hatred or discord they emit towards me. 

If people choose to believe lies about me, I leave it to God to correct them.

If you want to know where I find joy, ask me. I will tell you.  I love to learn, and the Holy Spirit is the universe's greatest teacher.  When I got that right, everything started falling into place. 

So what that I know something about computers, electronics and dozens of other things. I want to know more about the Bible and about Jesus.

I can guarantee you that nobody who has died whether or not they are a Christian misses one single thing from this world. 

In Hell, everyone there missed out on a relationship with Jesus.

In Heaven, everyone is only concerned about seeing Him.  Not about who won the latest game.  Or what sights they missed seeing in this world.  Not about who they got to meet.  Or what happened to what celebrities.

So what's your priority?

So where are you?