You Silly Girl!

¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹ Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

-Ephesians 4:17-19

                What does it mean to be a Christian?  These days, it seems to me that if you grew up in the Bible belt, you consider yourself a Christian.  Have I got news for you!  Just because you were baptized as a baby, your grandfather was a pastor, or you go to church does this make you a Christian.  I guess the better question to ask yourself is, “Do you follow Christ?” 

In the passage, Paul is commanding Christians to live not “as the gentiles do”.  In today’s terms, he would be referring to people who do not follow Christ.  He goes on to talk about how people are separated from the Lord because of ignorance caused by the “hardening of their hearts”. 

Paul uses the word “they” a lot, referring to other people, but how many of us can relate to them?  I know I can.  I’ve been in church my entire life and from the time I was little, knew who God was.  During my sophomore year of high school, I turned away from the Lord after a tragic accident that killed my friend.  While I went through the motions a “good Christian” should, my heart wasn’t in it.  I broke at least one of the 10 commandments (taking the Lord’s name in vain) because I wasn’t giving my all to the Lord, rather I was walking around, pretending to be a follower of Christ. 

The problem: when trouble came knocking at my door, I had nothing to back me up.  I got into some pretty nasty stuff my freshman year of college.  I finally had freedom and little miss goody-goody didn’t have to exist anymore.  I knew what I was doing was wrong, yet I ran to and embraced it.  I felt like I had finally found my place.  This is who I was now.  I loved it…for a while.  Eventually, the hole in my heart grew larger and larger.  I ached to be wanted and accepted.  The world was failing me, but no way could I go back.  I had turned my back on God completely.  He would never take me back…right?

Wrong.  After a few months of fighting it, one night I was completely broken at an all time low.  It had been so long since I'd even thought about the Lord.  I prayed to God that I was sorry.  Bawling, I confessed what I had done, knowing that it wouldn’t be good enough.  I asked God to come back in my life.  I felt His presence IMMEDIATELY.  He answered with, “I’ve been here beside you all along, you silly girl!”  (Maybe not that exactly, but pretty close.)  I can’t explain it.  The comfort I experienced was the Holy Spirit moving through me.  I knew what I had done was wrong, but God was right beside me the whole time, seeing everything I’d done.  Yet, non of it mattered because I was His. 

I indulged in every kind of worldly impurity.  I was acting like “the gentiles”.  You know what?  God knew I’d turn my back Him and still sent His son to die for me anyway.  He died KNOWING that.  It’s hard to fathom love that great.  I don’t deserve His love and neither do you, but its here.  The best part?  It doesn’t cost a dime.  You don’t have be good enough to “earn” it.  PRAISE GOD! 

I was on a winter retreat with my church this past school year when the speaker, Neil Hatfield was talking about salvation.  I think I accepted Christ into my heart as a child, but I’m not sure.  Suddenly, I started thinking about if I had or not.  Then I started thinking, if I did do it, was it right? My heartstrings were being tugged at.  I couldn’t go another minute without knowing my future.  The problem: my pride kept me in my chair.  Here is the conversation that went on in my head:

I’ll just do it by myself later in my room. 

(Tugging heart strings) Get up…

NO! I don’t want anyone in my college class to know that I wasn’t saved.  What would they say?

Get up, it doesn’t matter.

No.  It DOES matter.  They will know I’d been living a lie. 

STOP BEING PROUD and get up.

Whoa. Me?  Have a problem with pride? No….

Yes, now come to me now.

I got up and accepted Christ on my actual birthday.  Praise the Lord, He saved me. 

I urge you, if you haven’t asked Jesus into your heart, do it.  Salvation isn’t something to take lightly.  This is forever.  If you want to talk to someone about it or have questions, I’d love to talk with you.  If not me, talk to another friend or pastor.  The world is a nasty place to live in, but the great news is that this life is only temporary.  All the hurt and pain will be gone forever. 

If you are a Christian, I urge you to think about your relationship with God.  Is what you are doing for the Lord or are you just going through the motions?  The worst thing you can do is “pretend” to be a Christian.  Do you follow Christ with your intentions, thoughts, AND actions?