Have you ever thought about how the decisions we make on a daily basis define who we really are? What do you give priority to in your life? Who are you trying to impress? What are you trying to accomplish? These series of questions should get us thinking about the types of decisions we are making in our daily lives and how they impact the positive or negative transformations that occur within ourselves.
It has been said there are two types of decisions being made. The most critical are moral decisions that can be defined as decisions related to principles of right or wrong. Some examples of moral decisions in a college environment are whether or not to use profanity, get intoxicated, use drugs, have premarital sex, fight or harass fellow students and cheat in your classes to name a few. As we are faced with these types of decisions, what or who are we basing our morals on in our lives? Is it what other students or friends are doing and what is culturally acceptable or are you basing your moral decisions on the inherent, perfect Word of God?
The second type of decision is a priority decision. An analysis of these decisions will provide clarity to what is really important to each of us. Some examples in a college environment could be choosing to go to church on Sunday versus sleeping in, studying for an upcoming test versus staying out late, spending time with your boyfriend or girlfriend instead of with your friends, reading the Bible at night versus going straight to bed and calling home to talk to Mom and Dad versus playing video games with your friends. I hope you can see from the examples provided how priority decisions define what is really important to us.
Imagine for a moment if you took every decision you are going to be faced with and based your answers on the Bible. How do you think it would impact your life and equip you during your transition from adolescence into adulthood? I would dare to say your decision making skills would be greatly enhanced and you would be blessed for following God’s instruction for your life. We are truly the sum of the decisions we make and it is crucial to understand the consequences of our actions. By keeping God first in all you do, the transition to adulthood will continue to take shape with every Godly decision you make.
Your Brother in Christ,
Miguel "The Hitman" Viera #40
"Committed to tackling souls for Christ"
Visit www.trafford.com/06-0375 to read about Miguel's new book "Walking on Higher Ground and Awakening the Spirit Within: A Christian Student Athlete's Spiritual Journey Through the Doors of College and Beyond." To learn more about Playing for Jesus Ministries, visit http://www.playingforjesusministries.vpweb.com. To watch a recent television interview on "The Harvest Show" about the book and ministry, visit the archive link listed below: http://www.harvest-tv.com/video/VOD_GetShow.cfm?ShowID=115
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Have You Compromised Your Faith Recently?
Yesterday morning I received an encouraging email from a new friend that said “I know that today you are walking in the favor of God.” If the very thought of walking in God’s favor doesn’t put a smile on your face, I do not know what will. I wonder how often we take the time to recognize that God wants to pour out His favor in our lives. I believe that is one of the many benefits of trying to live in the very center of His will.
So what keeps us from finding His will for our lives and what plays a role in pushing us farther away from Him? Have you ever been faced with an opportunity to make a decision in your life regarding a certain matter that could ultimately compromise your faith? The decision you are torn between making is inevitably linked to potentially keeping you from growing closer to God. Sometimes those decisions can take place in the blink of an eye when you turn on the television to find something to watch or fire up the computer to get on the internet. Other decisions can take longer to make and involve more thought and consideration like spending time with the wrong crowd or not taking care of your body by taking illegal substances.
The first verse in the Bible that comes to my mind has to do with our eyes. I believe our eyes can keep us from finding God’s will for our lives. Psalm 25:12 says “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.” What are we spending our time looking at during the course of the day? Are they things that are glorifying God or are they preventing our bodies from being full of light? It is going to be very difficult to live in the center of His will if we are not portraying light to others around us.
The second verse can be found in Philippians 4:8-9 which says “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” This verse has to do with our minds and hearts. If we meditate on things that are not righteous, how can we be expect to grow closer to God and experience the all encompassing peace that only He can provide? It is not possible if our mind and heart are not in the right place spiritually.
Next time the temptation arises to compromise our faith, let’s pay close attention to what we are looking at with our eyes and the things we are meditating on. Let’s remember the consequences of compromising our faith. Falling out of the center of God’s will and distancing our relationship with Him are too costly to afford. Are we being faithful with what we have been given in our lives? Does selfishness, bitterness, resentment or hatred have a stronghold on our hearts? If the heart is not free from these negative feelings, how can we expect to grow closer to God? The way to a free, peaceful and loving heart is ultimately through forgiveness. The great equalizer is forgiveness just as He has forgiven us.
Your Brother in Christ,
Miguel "The Hitman" Viera #40
"Committed to tackling souls for Christ"
Visit www.trafford.com/06-0375 to read about Miguel's new book "Walking on Higher Ground and Awakening the Spirit Within: A Christian Student Athlete's Spiritual Journey Through the Doors of College and Beyond." To learn more about Playing for Jesus Ministries, visit http://www.playingforjesusministries.vpweb.com. To watch a recent television interview on "The Harvest Show" about the book and ministry, visit the archive link listed below:
http://www.harvest-tv.com/video/VOD_GetShow.cfm?ShowID=115
So what keeps us from finding His will for our lives and what plays a role in pushing us farther away from Him? Have you ever been faced with an opportunity to make a decision in your life regarding a certain matter that could ultimately compromise your faith? The decision you are torn between making is inevitably linked to potentially keeping you from growing closer to God. Sometimes those decisions can take place in the blink of an eye when you turn on the television to find something to watch or fire up the computer to get on the internet. Other decisions can take longer to make and involve more thought and consideration like spending time with the wrong crowd or not taking care of your body by taking illegal substances.
The first verse in the Bible that comes to my mind has to do with our eyes. I believe our eyes can keep us from finding God’s will for our lives. Psalm 25:12 says “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.” What are we spending our time looking at during the course of the day? Are they things that are glorifying God or are they preventing our bodies from being full of light? It is going to be very difficult to live in the center of His will if we are not portraying light to others around us.
The second verse can be found in Philippians 4:8-9 which says “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” This verse has to do with our minds and hearts. If we meditate on things that are not righteous, how can we be expect to grow closer to God and experience the all encompassing peace that only He can provide? It is not possible if our mind and heart are not in the right place spiritually.
Next time the temptation arises to compromise our faith, let’s pay close attention to what we are looking at with our eyes and the things we are meditating on. Let’s remember the consequences of compromising our faith. Falling out of the center of God’s will and distancing our relationship with Him are too costly to afford. Are we being faithful with what we have been given in our lives? Does selfishness, bitterness, resentment or hatred have a stronghold on our hearts? If the heart is not free from these negative feelings, how can we expect to grow closer to God? The way to a free, peaceful and loving heart is ultimately through forgiveness. The great equalizer is forgiveness just as He has forgiven us.
Your Brother in Christ,
Miguel "The Hitman" Viera #40
"Committed to tackling souls for Christ"
Visit www.trafford.com/06-0375 to read about Miguel's new book "Walking on Higher Ground and Awakening the Spirit Within: A Christian Student Athlete's Spiritual Journey Through the Doors of College and Beyond." To learn more about Playing for Jesus Ministries, visit http://www.playingforjesusministries.vpweb.com. To watch a recent television interview on "The Harvest Show" about the book and ministry, visit the archive link listed below:
http://www.harvest-tv.com/video/VOD_GetShow.cfm?ShowID=115
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