Hot or Cold?

Are you a bright flame, or are you too cool for your own good?

Ah, Narnia.  Such an awesome place, right?  So many possibilities.  Heck, the animals even talk back to ya!  Of course, my doggie speaks to me everyday, but in her own little way.  Intellectually, our conversations are as shallow as a kiddie pool.

But if you go to Narnia, you're sure to be different.  Everyone I've ever known that has gone to Narnia has done spectacular things for the Lord, triumphing over evil!  Makes me wanna go.  But you know what?  This earth IS our own Narnia.  We all have our own "Speh Ooms" if we just look for them.  We have so many possibilities in which we can spend our time.  For instance, how many possible television shows could we have recorded on a daily basis on our DVR's or Tivo's, am I right?  Or how about how much time we devote to our community, helping those around us?  Do we even do that at all?  How about how much time do you devote to your church?  Are you helping out, even in a small way, somehow?  And most importantly, how much time a day do you spend alone with God?  How much time do you set aside to pray for others, for their healing, for God's Truth, for your loved ones, and even for yourself?

On The View yesterday, the women talked about how a lot of people will ignore God their entire lives, but then, on their death beds, call out to Him, ask Him to forget everything, forgive them for ignoring Him all along.  Those people have most likely ignored God because of influence they've seen in believers.  They see how we're no different.  How we watch the same shows, wear the same clothes, say the same negative comments, fending for themselves first and foremost and not putting others first.  How is your life different than an unbeliever, other than attending church on Sundays and saying that you are a believer.  You may even can quote the bible, talk the talk.  Perhaps you even have the church folks fooled into thinking you're better than you really are.  But you're not fooling God, and you're not fooling the unbelievers.  Nope.  They may say it to your face.  But when they're alone, they wonder how our life could possibly be better because when they look at us, they see how we have limitations to our life.  We can do this, but we can't do that.  You can say this, but you can't say that.  If that's all people see from the outside of Christianity, they're not gonna jump on board, they're gonna jump ship and head for the hills where they can live their own life the way they want to.  And all along, not knowing what a true, real, exhilarating relationship with God that they could have.  And it's all because of us.  We've gotta get real, folks.  Let's quit puttin' on those fake smiles and perfect clothes and be ourselves, be who God created you to be.  There is no mold to fit in to.  He WANTS us to be different.  He WANTS us to stand out in our own way.  And from there, live out who Christ is in us.

Who is Christ to you?  Do you love like Jesus loves?  Do you do what Jesus does?  I'm pretty sure He's not an in-your-face kind of guy.  I bet He's the One in the back of the room, listening to people's stories, to their hearts.  And from there, I bet He's the One who is a witness by the way He lives, the choices He makes, what He spends His time and money on.  He was a carpenter.  He knew things take time and effort.  Carpentry is even said to be a high position of honor by Jesus. (Holmon Illustrated Bible Dictionary)  The same goes for our personal testimony.  Every day, it is process.

I'm excited to try harder every single day to be like my Jesus!  Let's get excited together, as a community of followers!  Let's shine the right kind of light for our Lord!

Love you guys, Tara K