Christianity is not a selfish religion

Christianity ... selfish ... religion. These words don't seem to go well together, but I was partaking in my favorite past time [ reading blogs =) ] & I really felt conviction come upon me. As much as I have learned this lesson over and over and over within the past year, I don't think my heart has fully grasped it. I don't think my mind wraps around the seriousness of Jesus' actions on the cross. He was burning with passion, passion for us, passion to set us free from death & sin, and passion to give us revelation of His love for us. So If I'm a follower of Christ, I must have this same passion & if I don't I can ask Him for it! I must long for others to see His love, I must be thrilled to see people set free from bondage, and to share the good news to the ends of the earth. But I turn off evangelism as if being a follower of Jesus is a part time job that I can clock out of.

I'm tired of Christianity being a selfish religion.

I'm tired of knowing of the riches in Christ and knowing that so many lost souls need to hear that God loves them, but I stand back because of inconvenience. I want to rely on His grace to bring me through situations even when I'm left feeling rejected. We need to move from the idea that God will allow us to speak or move in due time. This is entirely true, but the problem is we're not even listening to His voice to figure out when He's moving. & He's moving all the time! We need to go deeper in our relationship with God, learn to hear His voice, and then obey where He's taking us. When the basis of a religion is sacrifice, hoarding it is quite the oxymoron!

Lord, help this not to be just words I'm typing, or a conviction we blow off.

^{Luke 14:33 "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."}

Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

-Stephanie