Living Christ
Being a Christian is not simple. It requires total surrender, dependence, and sacrifice. Emptying our hearts of our desires to align our projects with His often hurts, as we need to give up what we want and plan to trust Him completely, even if the decisions don’t make sense at the time.
But we often forget this and consider ourselves Christians just because we go to church….
Ambassadors of the word
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
God demands nothing in exchange for His power and care. However, to be under His protection, we also need to be aligned with His word.
The enemy constantly tries to deceive us with lies to influence our journey. Lies about God, about our identity in Him, and about the things and people around us.
He will not respect your church card, but he is obliged to respect our spiritual authority. He can influence our lives even when we are at church; attending all services does not make us immune to his pitfalls. However, he has no power over us when we are standing firm in the word, serving, and giving ourselves completely to God’s ways.
He’s bigger!
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.”
1 Peter 4:1-2
I’ve heard many people say several times that Christianity is something simple to live. But the reality is, if you’re looking for comfort, I wouldn’t recommend being a Christian.
Being a believer is just believing in something, which is really easy to do. But being a Christian means being like Christ, and that hurts.
Jesus was killed for believing and preaching what he believed. He was the one who suffered the most, but he was also the one who lived the most under the word and direction of God. Therefore, He was always under the total protection of the Father, no matter how much some steps hurt and demanded a lot from Him. Everything was worth it and became small in the face of God’s love and care for Him. Jesus was strengthened by God and had spiritual authority; the enemy was afraid of Him, and no matter how much He sometimes tried to prove Him, He remained firm in any situation.
Choosing the seed
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14
Be the person the enemy is afraid of. If he’s attacking you about something, it’s because it bothers him. God has a lot for you, and the word shows you the way to the Father’s dreams. Don’t deviate.
Keep your mind and spirit focused on God and all He has for you. Live for Him and for Him; you will reach much greater places.
What the world and the enemy offer you is much easier to follow compared to the Christian life, as it requires nothing from you… in the beginning.
With Christ, the beginning is more difficult; you are broken to be remade, shaped, and transformed, and then you reap beautiful things ahead. The enemy, in turn, offers you a much simpler beginning, where you just enjoy, feed your desires, and feel like you are in control of everything, but then you fall and get hurt, reap everything you sowed from a dirty and empty seed.
A true Christian
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Psalm 119:105
Do not give up at the beginning of God’s ways; Seek spiritual authority in the word and stand firm in it. God has already promised care and protection for you. No matter how alone you may feel at some point, He will always be by your side, guiding you and watching over your steps.
Be certain in your heart that any path where God is leads to a wonderful place that could never be designed by us.
Difficult moments, when lived alongside the Father, serve as teaching and guidance. We are strengthened by Him in tribulations. Flee the paths where God is not; give yourself completely to Him.
Make God’s word your guide and do not allow the enemy’s lies to distract you. Do not be content with just having a believer’s card; Be a true Christian and truly live Christ! He has so much more for you.
by
Rapha Abreu
Rapha Abreu é Jornalista e Produtora cultural, e faz parte da equipe de marketing, redação e produção de conteúdo da Mr. Rocco.
