Living With A Mission

I have been in California for a little over two weeks now. One thing I have been told several times is that there is much diversity here. I have been able to observe this, mainly among the believers. There are many different walks of life, which is a beautiful thing because we have all been adopted into God's family.

But one thing that has been bothering me is the same thing I wrote about in the spring. If someone who didn't know Christ sat in on my roomies' and my typical conversation, he probably wouldn't know that we claim to be ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).

I have been studying Colossians 2 and 3. Take a look at Colossians 3:1-3:

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

 Is this something that we as believers should occasionally do, or is this a daily charge? Shouldn't we always live like we are strangers to this world? The apostle Peter says that we should live like this because we have been redeemed "not with perishable things such as silver or gold...but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Peter 1:18-19). This redemption should transform the way we think, speak, and live.

To put this in other terms, there is no such thing as a part-time Christian. Followers of Jesus are full-time ambassadors of Christ to the lost and broken. We need to view other believers as brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to daily encourage each other (Hebrews 3:13) and remind each other that we're living with a mission. Jesus should permeate through our thoughts and conversations.

I am not exempt from my frustration; I am in need of God's grace in this area. Christians, let's live as the Body of Christ. Let's live with a mission. 

What SoCal And Milton's McDonalds Have In Common

This is something that I've been wanting to communicate for a while now but haven't had a chance. As most of you know, I am about to leave central PA and move to Southern California for college. The response I usually receive from people is excitement about me moving to SoCal. While Southern California is an exciting place to move, I haven't been sucked in to the hype of moving there.

The reason for that is because my motives for going there are the same as my motives for working at my town's McDonalds: God told me to go there. There weren't many people excited about my choice to work at the local McDonalds instead of a higher paying summer job. But I decided, with joy, to apply and work there because I knew that that is where God wanted me and that he was with me while I worked there. Most people would probably become sick of working at a McDonalds, but I find myself wishing I could stay and work longer there because I don't think God's work there is done.

So it's due to my motives for going that I am not filled with the hype of going to Southern California, although I am excited to be going where God has called me. The verse that comes to mind is Colossians 3:15, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." The word "rule" is a strong word, literally meaning to let Christ's peace govern your life. To let God be the Lord of your life. God has been the Lord of my life, and the same God who called me to Southern California to attend Eternity Bible College called me to work at Milton's McDonalds. God filled me with peace and joy (Romans 15:13) as I worked there, and I know he will fill me with that peace and joy as I move to California. So know that I am excited not to be moving to SoCal for it's location and popularity and fame, but to be going (again) where God has called me.