THOUGHTS ABOUT LIFE

Ezekiel 11:19-20

 

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

 

          Many people's lives resemble an old "pigeonhole" desk. They have a place for this and a place for that. There is a slot for their job, and another slot for their girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse, another slot for their family or their children, another slot for their friends, and still another slot for their leisure time activities.  And yes, some even save a slot for God.  The purpose for the pigeonholes is to keep the various aspects of life separate. The problem with this way of thinking about life is that it fails to take into account the fact that any one part of life effects all the others. How can one's relationship with his spouse not affect his children or his job, for example?

          Does having a relationship with Christ affect your life as a whole?  YES!  Having Christ in your hearts affects everything.  First, it changes your mindset.  Rom. 8:5 says: “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”   Second, it changes the way you interact with the world.  Rom. 12:2 says:  “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  And third, it changes you at your very core.  2 Cor. 5:17 says: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

 

          The fact is that one doesn't have to choose between having Christ and "having a life." It is Jesus who makes the abundant life possible! One doesn't have to choose between serving Christ and serving their family. Christ will be the Lord and Head of their homes and the provider and protector of their family. One doesn't have to choose between serving Christ and doing his job. For those who serve Christ, their work is their ministry!

"Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in ALL your ways acknowledge him,
and HE will make your paths straight"
(Prov. 3:5-6).