A Lesson for Those who Feel Pressured to Try and Please God ...
I pray that you will find this message worth while. It
is not me jumbling on about something; I am jumbling on about something that
I base my life around, so that I am not stressed about pleasing God. Read
until the end so you may learn the whole message. I pray that it will reach
deep into your heart and stick with you forever...
A Prayer...
Loving God, you called us each by name and gave your only Son to redeem
us. Open our hearts to Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. Send us the Holy
Spirit to continue the mission of Jesus among us. Give us the courage
to speak his name to those who are close to us. And grant us the generosity
to share his love with those who most need it. Help us to be missionaries in
his name. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Now, you do not have to preach about Jesus at your school talent show, you
don't have to go up to random people and say "Where are you with God? God
loves you, why don't you love Him?" And you don't have to feel pressured to
spread Jesus with the whole world. You are ONE PERSON. And one person makes
the difference. Don't think I'm saying to sit back and relax and forget
Jesus. We should never forget Jesus. He died for us; we can't deny it and we
can't forget it. So out of gratitude for what He did on the cross, and to
show our thanks to Him, not because we have to, we speak His name with ones
that are close, including our Christian friends so they may be encouraged
too, AND, we share the Love of Christ with others. Just a friendly wave, sit
with them at lunch if they're lonely, not necessarily anyone who's sitting
alone, I mean the people who sit alone every day; and I can assure you that
you will be glad you did. It's a great feeling... Or, just give people
someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. And remember, they are trusting
you.
We can trust in CHRIST.
Christ had a relationship with all of his disciples before he started
proclaiming all the good news; He didn't step down from Heaven, and proclaim
"I AM GOD. BELIEVE IN ME AND FOLLOW MY WILL OR YOU WILL PERISH," and then
disappear back into the clouds.
NO!
He had a relationship with us first, He lived a full life on this Earth, he
felt our pain (he died a painful death...), he taught the will of Our Father
his whole life, GOD was standing right before them; and they still didn't
believe!
Never feel pressured to try to "save" your friends in one day. It could take
a lifetime. And after many different encounters with many different
Christians, they may come to Christ! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT ALL.
Never feel pressured to prove your love for Christ through works. Accept His
gift to you that he, The Perfect Lamb, was slain on the cross for Our Sin;
and then out of gratitude... you show the love to others that Christ has
shown you.
That is ALL he asks; Have Faith, Love Me, show Love to others, Follow my
Will (Ten Commandments) and My Word (the bible) and treat your neighbor as
you would yourself.
GOD IS LOVE...
Show God to others; in all these ways I have told you about.
God Bless, and may you find a peace with our forever-Loving God,
A Friend.
Emily B, Age 13