Thursday's Thoughts on... being a Christian - "Waking Up" woke me up

I recently read a book by Ted Dekker that seriously got my attention. If you are't familiar with him, he writes in the same genre as Frank Peretti, but more Sci-Fi than Peretti. Still not familiar? Think "Stephen King sprinkled with a little Dean Koontz but with a Christian worldview." 

This book was totally different than Dekker's other books. Mainly, it's not fiction, but more than that, I felt as though he and I were having a conversation about our faith. Not to give it all away, but in the book he shares his struggle with Christianity...or maybe it's our idea of Christianity... I'm not sure. He is  SO easy to read and tells his story with such transparency... again, I felt as though we were having a conversation. 

Oh! Before I forget!!! The name of the book is Waking Up.

Now that we've gone through all that and you have some idea of where I'm coming from....

I am STUCK on this thought...

Do I believe what I say I believe?

This leads to all sorts of other questions...

Does my life show that I believe what I say I believe? 

• How quick am I to pray with someone? 
• I say I believe God's Word is our lifeline... how much of it do I have memorized? How often do I have a verse ready to offer as comfort or advice?
• I say that I want to leave a legacy, that I want to make a difference in the lives of the people God puts in my life...what am I doing to invest in the lives of others? Am I available? Am I intentional? 
• I say that I believe that God's plan is perfect... do I live without fear? Do I totally trust God with every detail of my life?

Do others see Christ in me?

• Do I love as Christ loved?
• Do I see the potential in people?
• Do I see everyone as uniquely Created by God, or do I shy away from people who are not like me?
• Am I so full of the love of Christ that those around me are drenched in the overflow?

There are others. I could go on for hours. 

Not too long ago, a friend told me that they love how I will crawl through garbage to give a rose to a wilted soul. 

I hope this is true of me. 

I do want to be used by Christ. I do want all my trials and downfalls and the story of how God delivered, healed, and restored me to give hope to those who are struggling. I want my life, my story, to point others to Christ. 

It's so easy to lose focus on what's important. Time gets away from me. I want to live intentionally, to make each day count... not for my pleasure, but for Christ. Someone told me recently that I need to get out of my way. Come to think of it, Perry said something like that to me as well. The phrase "Let go and let God" comes to mind.

What do YOu do to make sure that you are "on track" when it comes to living your life for Christ?
I'd love to hear from you!

Big hugs and much love!

K