HYPOCRITE

In a recent survey that asked people (Christian and non-Christian) what they thought of the average Christian, the most common answer by far was "hypocritical."
Ouch. But this really strikes home. I wonder what people would say if they were asked this about me and about my Christian walk. Do I truly love the unloveable? Do I truly give like I have plenty? Do I truly live like Jesus did? Am I a good example of what Christ looked like?
I would like to say that the label "hypocrite" doesn't fit us. I would like to say it's just people who have met maybe one or two "Christians." "They haven't met me," we think. But what if they have? What sets you apart? Do you live the life that God set you out to live? or are you living for yourself?
Somewhere along the line of living for Christ and following after him it seems that we decide we have enough. Enough Jesus to make us "good people" enough to get us into heaven, enough to be comfortable in church on Sunday and then say nothing about the incredible God we claim to not be able to live or move or breathe without. Somewhere along the way we start worshiping the "god" who doesn't mind if we lie as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. The "god" who doesn't mind if we get drunk on the weekend as long as we're in the pew on Sunday looking like everybody else. The "god" who doesn't mind if we watch that movie as long as we don't live it out. The "god" who doesn't care that I didn't give any of my paycheck to him this week because I NEED that money just to scrape by.
Is "hypocrite" starting to seem like an accurate label for us?
Well, let me just say that the TRUE God says that He is the TRUTH, no lie would ever have a place near Him; He can give us far greater comfort than any bottle ever could; He can give us joy far greater than any pleasure experieced on this earth; and He will provide for every need that you could ever have.
Being a disciple of Christ requires 100% obedience. If you're only giving 99% it's not gonna work.
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
Let's start living the things we say we believe in. Let's erase this label that has come to define us. "Hypocrite" would never define Christ, why should it define us???

SHINE!

So this week has really reaffirmed the fact that God really loves us a lot and truly will answer a prayer prayed in faith and hope. I started working at Cici's Pizza about 2 months ago. Two of my managers are saved, and one isn't; and about half of my coworkers are saved. So about a month ago the Christians decided to do something about this. We had all been having conversations with our unsaved manager about God and it seemed we weren't getting anywhere. So we decided this month would be "March Madness." Basically this consisted of praying daily for our manager and for our other co-workers to get saved THIS MONTH. Giving God a timeline? haha, sometimes it works. That's right, he got saved last week! PRAISE THE LORD!!! Our God is faithful and he truly does answer prayers! One more man knows Christ because a few people decided to pray and do something about the unsaved people.
So this has really challenged me to be a person that shines God's light to the world instead of my own and to be God's hands and feet to the unsaved as we are called by his word to be.
God is faithful, and awesome, and he answers prayer!