Flying High for Jesus

We all have our "Lots" in life. Mine tends to be my consistent exposure to misunderstandings and disappointments with others. Sometimes I wonder, "am I the ONLY one" who is serving Christ with my whole heart? Where are all the other "Christians" who are willing to reject the norms of the culture and live a life that is contrary to popular belief?" Sometimes, we can feel like we're the only ones flying high...sometimes, we can honestly feel as if we're the only one flying at all.

In Daniel, the prophet records his experiences as a young man, where the pleasures of life were surrounding him and free for him to indulge and take part in. There were many young men from his homeland who didn't seem to mind participating in various affairs. But not Daniel. Scripture says that he chose not to "defile himself" (Daniel 1:8).

Those around him probably thought he was so extreme, or not realistic, but Daniel was willing to fly high for God. That is how I want to be. I want to be like Daniel: I want to live a life that is so closely reflectant of Christ, that no one would ever have any questions or any doubts about my commitment to Him. I want to make sure that my choices, my activities and my lifestyle is as far from the middle road as possible. At the end of the day, what does it matter if it's not pleasing Christ? And who do I think that I am to justify certain behaviors that I would not want to include Jesus in?


In our Christian society, people talk a lot about "conviction"; using the term as if to justify their own personal feelings towards one thing or another. But truly, our only conviction, as Christians, should be to live a life, based on scripture, such that others are drawn to Christ. If my choices and lifestyle are contrary to scripture, then my feelings are irrelevant. We must all consider the teachings of Paul, which are lead by the Holy Spirit:

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."- Colossians 3:17

So I'd like to ask you this: are your deeds a representative of the Lord Jesus, or are they a representative of the culture, your friends or yourself? And if, indeed, you do have a heart for Christ, whose authority and influence are you navigating your choices by?

I hope we all humble ourselves enough to realize that this life for Jesus is not to be lived on our own terms, but on His. He continues to give us the power, through the Holy Spirit, to stand firm against temptations and activities that do not reflect His name. So the choice boils down to us: are we willing to Fly High for Jesus, even if that means flying all by ourselves? I hope we can all come to a place in our hearts, where we are willing to take such a challenge; just like Daniel. I hope we can all decide that our priority will always be to please our Savior and not our culture or our selves!

Something to think about...

~Pearls

Majoring in the Minors

It never ceases to amaze me at the number of people who claim to be Christians, yet live out their Christianity as if it is optional. They go to church, sing songs, but will curse, lie, have unholy relationships, and still expect the presence and power of God to be available to them.

Our society is a dangerous one. In one of our early studies of Daniel, writer, Beth Moore, likened our culture with that of Babylon: a culture that consumes self and rejects any form of inconvenience. Have we gone so far in our thinking, that we have adopted this mentality within our Christianity? I believe the answer is a sad, "yes".

We tend to go to church out of obligation, not even considering or interested in getting involved more than finding a comfortable pew to sit on. We evade volunteer requests, finagle our way out of donating, hide from opportunities to extend ourselves to strangers and reject ideas or opportunities that are not "the normal church thing" to do. We are majoring in the minors!

Look at us! Where is our passion? Where is our heart? Where is our motivation to be all that God has called us to be, not for ourselves, but for His kingdom?

Before I was a believer, I did all sorts of things that I regret, yet I did them with a passion, and most of the stuff I did, I really didn't even want to do them. I partied hard until all hours of the night, even when I was tired and knew I would regret it. I dated guys that I didn't even really like, because other people expected me to or because I didn't want to disappoint a friend. I wore clothes that weren't my style, I sacrificed my studies, I paid for tickets to events that didn't interest me and I listened to music that I knew was harsh and negative and dishonoring. I made a lot of sacrifices for people, friends and culture. I was all in, even if it wasn't my "thing". And I wonder how many other countless Christians there are that have similar stories:who once would arrange their lives, schedules, agendas, friendships, interests, goals and beliefs for the sake of culture. We've all done it, without question. So why, now that we belong to a new culture- the culture of Christ- do we struggle to make sacrifices and changes? Why is it so easy to say "No" to Jesus, but so difficult to say "No" to the world?

John 15:19 tells us that we are in the world, but not of it. That we no longer belong here, but are now heavenly  citizens, in Christ Jesus. If this is the case, we must consider how we live, not like the world, but like Christ. We are no longer bound to our culture, to become like them, participate or make changes to fit in with them. Our focus should be to become like Christ, participate in His agenda and make changes for him. We are outsiders, who only fit in amongst those who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Our motivation should be to please him, no matter what it costs, no matter how it might inconvenience us, no matter how we feel. We should be willing and excited to support that which supports our Savior. So, why aren't we? Why are we still busy trying to fit in with the culture of a dying world? Something is so wrong and sad about this. How can we be effective Christians, when we are not willing to take risks, make changes and live out of our comfort zones? How can we expect to change the world for Jesus, when we continue to allow the world to change us?

Something to think about...

~Pearls