February Resolution

IS WHAT YOU'RE LIVING FOR WORTH DYING FOR?

I read this on a sign last week, and I've heard it in sermons before. I specifically recall a sermon from my church in Peru (Camino de Vida) about serving the immediate community. Every month (or maybe every other month), Camino de Vida hosts a day known as "Servolution". It's a day to go out on the streets and serve the people. This may be in the form of passing out water bottles on a hot day, playing soccer with kids in the street, or building a home to house those who have no place to go. I love looking at the pictures my friends post from these events, and I hope that one day I, too, will be able to participate.

After seeing the above question on a church sign last week, I really started thinking about what exactly I'm living for. Am I living to have fun or am I living to survive? Am I living oblivious to everything around me or am I living up to my full potential? Ultimately, am I living for Christ or am I living for the devil? What a thought!!

I like to think that I'm living up to my full potential in Christ, but, when I really start to dig and search my heart and motives, often I beat myself up. I don't believe God expects us to be perfect, but I do believe He expects us to give Him our all, our entire being, for the glory of His name. I believe if I'm not giving the Lord my all, then I am not living up to the potential I could have in Him.

What does that look like? That means giving God my time, giving the Lord my work, surrendering my desires to Him, and allowing Christ to mold me to better serve His purposes for my life. It means stepping out of my comfort zone and sometimes doing things that I wouldn't normally do. It means that daily I take up my cross, I lay down my life, and I ask God to take the lead.

Is it easy? Not at all! However, I'm seeing that the days I make a conscience effort to pray that Jesus walk with my through the day, things seem to go much more smoothly. My attitude is better, my opportunities are greater, and I sleep wonderfully at night. On the contrary, the days I hold onto life and guard it with all my might, I feel stressed, frustrated, and bored with life.

So, is what I'm living for (every moment of my day) worth dying for? I can't honestly say yes, but I think most of the time I do an okay job. I've noticed that since I've began this thinking, soul searching, and daily surrendering, I've had more opportunities to talk with my students about Christ or verses from the Bible that teach us how to live. Because of that opportunity to minister to my students, I find even more motivation to give each moment up to the Lord to be used for His purposes.

No longer will I wait until I return to Peru to give my all to serving and ministry. I will make a conscience effort to daily give the Lord every moment to be used for the glory of His name.

And there {finally} is my New Year's Resolution :)