The Battle of Christianity

As I mentioned in my last blog post, a friend of mine lost his life in a hiking accident last weekend. Many things in the past week have been swimming around in my head. I have been reexamining my life. I have been trying to treat each day is if it will be my last. I have been trying to show other people love instead of putting them down. I have been attempting to think before I speak, I have been attempting to accomplish something in my life instead of wasting my day in bed.  I can't say I have fully succeded, but it's a challenge for me to consistently work on in my life.I have been attempting to not only spend time with God in prayer and studying the Bible, but I have been trying to gain Wisdom from it and take in every second with God that I can. I want to grow to be more like Him, I want to grow in my relationship with Him, and I pray that every day with Jesus will continually get sweeter and sweeter. But that's not the main focus of my blog tonight.

Another thing I have been attempting to do is sit down and write some of my thoughts of the past few days, and as hard as it was to find time to do it amongst so many other things, I finally found a few minutes. Anyway, let me hop off this rabbit trail and get to my main thought.

This past week, I have specifically been thinking of the family and friends of my friend that passed away last week, and how just a few moments changed their life forever. It can't be an easy time for them right now. He was supposed to be the best man at his brother's wedding this August, He was preparing to go back to the ALERT program this September, He has a little brother that could have a hard time remembering who he is. His family won't even be able to see him walk down the isle someday, but enough sad thoughts. As I was saying, my heart goes out to that family. I know that it hasn't been an easy thing for them, and the memories will continue to be sad until they see him one day in Heaven. But I have such a great respect for the family and the loved ones. For the church family, and for the people that were there to experience the accident. Through it all they have been giving God praise. They have lifted Josh up to God, and they know that Josh is in God's arms! They have quoted scripture verses, they have cherished the memories, and they have praised God through it all. Which led me to think a little bit more. I tend to do that a lot, and sometimes too much, but I feel that this thinking is good.

As I thought about the Christian life, I thought about all the struggles that come. We live in a wicked world. There is temptation all around us! From pornography, to abortion, to homosexuality, fornication, stealing, killing, even bad thoughts, or bad actions. It's everywhere! Then there are things that may come into our life, such as trials and testings. I have to be honest, and I have to say that being a Christian isn't always an easy thing, As I have read through the Bible, and I grew up hearing stories several times, there are so many stories that come to mind.

I think of Abraham who was asked to kill his one and only son that he was blessed with at an old age. I think of Daniel who was thrown into the lion's den because he was praying every day. I think of David, a young shepherd boy, who had to stand up and fight against a giant that nobody else would face. I think of Noah who had to spend several months alone on a boat with his family and animals of every kind. I think of John who got shipwrecked on the isle of Patmos. I think of Paul who had to walk miles upon miles on end just to preach the gospel. I think of Esther who had to get married to a wicked king to save God's chosen people. I think of Hosea who was told to marry a prostitute. The list could go on, and on, and on and on of people in the Bible who went through tough times in their lives.

I'm not trying to put down Christianity at all, I'm not trying to say I regret a single minute of it, but God never said in the Bible that life would be easy, He never said life would be a piece of cake, but He did say so much more.

In James 1:2 He says,

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations."

Count it all joy? Wait....What? How can you count it a joy when you face a trial or temptation? It's a daily battle in our lives! The devil is always trying to put us down. He is always tempting and trying us. He wants us to be upset, Then there is the other side of things.....Christ. He says Count it all joy! It's the complete opposite.

So when we face trials and temptations in our life, how can we count it all joy? Take Paul for example. When he was on his death bed, he had been through so much in his life. He faced trials, temptations, and the battle of life in 2 Timothy 4:7 he says some of his last words,

"I have fought a good fight!"

 And that is what we should do in our lives too! It is a daily battle! It is a struggle, And No, It's not always going to be easy, but in our lives, we should fight the good fight! It's no wonder he also said in Hebrews 12:1

"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

Have you ever seen a race that was easy? It takes a lot of work to race. It's a lot like a fight. You have to train for it, You have to work for it, You have to prepare for it, then you have to give it everything you've got.It's not going to be easy, but in Romans 8:28 God says

"All things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose."

So of course, things in the Christian life aren't always going to be easy, but God is always going to work them out for His good.

As I am fighting the daily battle, Aside from remembering that he will work it out for His good, I also remember two things and I always rely on it. As God says in Hebrews 13:5

"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee"

 I always remember that no matter how tough life might seem at the time, no matter how fierce the battle, and no matter how hard the Devil is fighting, God says that He will never leave us or forsake us. He is always right beside us, and while we have to choose whose side to be on, He is always there fighting for us and carrying us, in the bad times and the good.

Another thing I remember is in Proverbs 3:5-6.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths."

So even though we don't always understand why we are facing a trial or temptation, or what the outcome will be, we can trust in the Lord, and he will direct our paths. He will take you by the hand, he will comfort you, and help you fight the good fight.

I know that was a lot for me to think about, but I know I will never regret the day I became a Christian. Jesus came into my life and changed it forever. Of course it won't be easy. God never said it would be, but if we trust in Him, He will take us by the hand, He will help us every step of the way, and in the end we can count it all joy because he worked it out for good.

Thank you so much Lord that you are always there fighting with me!