Live for Christ and not for Yourself
If you’re still alive, one possible reason is that God still has important work to do through
you. But perhaps you’re not doing God’s work at all. In that case, perhaps God has a very
different reason for keeping you alive. Perhaps it’s because you're not ready to die. You're still far from Christ, and God knows you wouldn't be better off dead. God knows that if you had died last night, you'd be in hell right now, suffering forever with no escape. You’re alive right now because God in his mercy is giving you more time to reject your sin and seek his mercy in Christ.
But some day your time will run out. Only God knows when. Don't waste the opportunity the Lord is giving you. You've heard God's wonderful promises of heaven. What a shame it would be to hear all this, only to shrug and walk away and end up dying without Christ. Don't be foolish. Set your heart on the Lord. Set your desires on spending eternity with him. Plead for God's mercy until he grants it. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Honor him as your supreme satisfaction in life and in death.
If you're not ready to live for Jesus, you're not ready to die. But once you are ready to die, you'll also be ready to live for him, fearlessly and joyfully. Once you know you'd be better off dead, you also know God must have an important purpose for keeping you here for awhile yet, and you serve him with all your heart. May God grant you grace so that you can truly say, "I’d be better off dead, but I’m glad to be alive, serving him. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Be Different
Don’t assume that something must be okay just because everyone around you are doing it. Almost everybody worshiped the king’s image. Almost everybody in Germany went along with Hitler. When “everyone is doing it,” dare to be different. “Resist Satan, standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9)
Choose to be different and distinguish yourself by your character and quality of your life for Christ and His Service.
Learn to pray like the men and Women of old PRAYED..........“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.” In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen. (Psalm 17:8-9)
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