Different or the Same

I was thinking about what sets me apart from the world, what makes me different. When I asked Jesus into my life, I said that I would do what He calls me to do, that makes me different, but as time goes by, am I doing what I promised Him I would do? It says in Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 "When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?" Do not delay in paying it, wow, did you read the same thing I just read, when we say Lord I give you my life, that is a vow, Your will be done, that is saying no longer is it about self, but about what God wants, isn't that a promise? Do you think that God views our giving our life to His, like a marriage vow? Or in Deuteronomy 23:21-23 "“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth."

We take things so superficially now, we only do it if it is easy, but what does God say about our hearts? Do we have a heart to serve Him or to serve self? Our actions define what is most important to us. If we are not doing it like God has defined to live, then who are we serving? God has called us to walk differently then the world, but when we are defining ourselves by what the world defines ourselves by, then we are no different than anyone else, we in fact could be just like the world. When our actions are just like the world, then we are not living the way God has called us to live. Serving ourselves is a sin, it is a sin against God because we are saying that I love myself more than I love God. When I am not following what He has said to do, I am saying I am the most important and what God says well it must just be a suggestion. God doesn't make suggestions, they are commands. In our personal life commands, in our relationship with our parents commands, in our marriages commands, not just do this if it feels good, He says do it all the time, because we love Him more than our own rights.

God knows that we are in a mind field, He knows where we need to walk and where we need to avoid. He has written the Bible to help us through the mind field of life, but when we do not read the Bible, learn from it and others that have gone before us, we are saying God I know better than You. He wants us to follow His footsteps, but are we willing to do that or is it about what we think is right? He says Geoff going that way is deadly and if I do it, who is to blame for what happens? I was warned, I was corrected, but I did it my own way and in the process yes I learned, but if I had just listened, I would have learned too. I was stubborn and wanting to be prideful and doing it all by myself, instead of relying on God. Are you doing life your way or are you following His footsteps?

Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

James 1:22-23 "22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror."

Do I allow my faith to wain or waver, because I just don't want to do what He calls me to do? Yes, we are saved by grace, the grace of Jesus Christ and He has said that once we believe that we are destined to be with Him in eternity. Grace is not a license to do wrong, but a gift that Jesus Christ gave to us to do what honors Him. When we get our drivers license does that mean I can speed, break the law? No, it means that the laws are put there for my protection, for the protection of others too. Just the same as the Law of God, it is defined for me to follow, not to defined for me to break and break God's heart in the process.

As the year comes to a close, ask yourself, am I doing what God calls me to do in His Bible? Am I following His teachings or am I doing what I want, because it is easier? He wants a people of integrity, a people who will stand up for Him no matter what comes our way.