Pray

For the past few months I constantly hear the subject of love come up. I don't mean between a guy and a girl when they fall in love, or their relationship. I mean how to love God and be an example of His love. I think that's great, but I think that too many people talk about it and don't do it enough. There are some people in my life who I admire greatly because I can truly say that they are great representatives of Christ. However, others I hear speak of this love and still somehow continue acting in a way that portrays nothing but the opposite. It is disheartening, truly, because these people are the ones who are the ones proclaiming their love for Christ to others without backing up their proclamations with their actions. And, as disappointing to me as it is, I am just as guilty. If we really loved Christ as most of us "Christians" say we do, why are we not doing more than just talking about the problems with Christianity and the church today? Instead of sitting around talking about what should be or could be done to change things, why not begin implementing these things into our lives? What stops us from taking it further and making it into our reality rather than another topic of conversation that, after it's done, makes us feel more Christ-like because we spent an hour of our time discussing how issues could be resolved by being the love of Christ to the unbelievers around us.

Maybe I'm thinking about this simply because I had a few conversations today with some very cool people about this idea of being compassionate and merciful and loving to others. But, I don't think it's just that. God has been dealing with me on this issue for a while now, and I believe these conversations were just other ways for Him to bring it to my attention. I realize that though I do love God and want to be a true representation of Him, I am just as guilty of sitting back and doing nothing as anyone is. I have criticized people for not being more in touch with the heart of our Father, when really, I have been doing the same thing. I say this because even if doing something to be the love of Christ does not mean setting out one day to go into a city and meet people to witness to, it can definitely mean spending time in prayer and intercession for people you already know and love and want to see their lives changed. And these things I have not been doing like I should. If we really genuinely love Christ, then we genuinely should love our neighbor as ourselves, and we should be more than willing to spend time interceding for their situations and hearts. So, that's what I'm going to do to change things around me in my world. I'm going to pray for a change; I'm going to seek God's counsel and heart to pray for His perfect will over the lives of people who I love and know need His salvation. If we truly want to be His love, we will readily give our time to pray for lives to be changed and hearts to be set ablaze. God only asks of us to pray and fast; He'll take care of the rest. All we have to do is trust that if we are in right standing with God, He will direct our paths. Praise God!!!