The crazy thing about it all is that none of it is self-initiated. And although I would love to see some improvement in myself in terms of my own active sharing of the gospel, it's also exciting and God-glorifying to see Him provide all these opportunities without my trying.
I found that one of the more prevalent reasons people asked me about my faith was because of my lifestyle. Aside from not going out clubbing or drinking with them, they mentioned that unlike most of the religious people they've met, I didn't seem to judge them for what they've done or who they are (which is all due to God's grace!). Wow! I had never realized how powerful of a testimony the very lives we live really were until I was placed in the midst of unbelievers for an extended period of time.
God calls us to be salt and light in the world - people who ought to stick out in the crowd. But the reason we stick out should not be because we wear the craziest clothes or have the most amazing talents. The reason we shine is because of the light that is within us - Christ who lives through us!
For a while, I felt like I did a lot of "preaching" without actively being engaged in the faith that I was sharing with others. Although I knew the words to say, I felt like they came out of my mouth lifeless - without any sense of zeal or passion. But I praise God for the opportunity He gave me to attend a worship concert this afternoon and into the evening led by an Indonesian group called True Worshipers. Placed in a setting of other believers, I was in one way or another, "forced" to worship our almighty God - away from all of the distractions and business I had gotten myself into all the while.
Through the praise and worship, I was actively reminded of how good and awesome our God is, and how Christ ought to be the center of our lives as Christians. The last song centered on these words... words of worship that brought hope, that led to surrender, and ended in joy. In the middle of the song, the worship leader spoke of how easy it is for Christ to become just another one of those things in our lives centered around ourselves. He spoke of how worship in church can easily turn into a karaoke session with all the words put up on a projector as we go through the motions week by week. But if Christ is truly the center of our lives, then worship is not something we take for granted; it's not something we do just for fun, just because everyone is doing it. Worship is a lifestyle we live as Christians centered around Christ who is the center, the target, and the very source of our worship!
Although I myself cannot guarantee that I will not lose focus of Christ one time or another in my life, I pray that He will continually remind me and you of the honor and worship He deserves to receive. May He be glorified in my life!
Below is a link to the video I took of the song (it was too big for blogger); I apologize in advance for my horrible voice and any shakiness!
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