Do I really care?
When I think of all the times I have fallen short of the mark, I ask myself this question, Anthony, do you really care? Does Jesus really matter to you and do the people you love in your life really matter. I think about this in all of my decisions and situations I am in. The answer is YES!! I do care and I want and desire to follow after God like a madman. The problem comes when I decide I would rather watch TV, play a video game, watch a movie or basically do anything else other than spend time with Jesus. This is not the behavior of someone who cares about someone else. If I were in a relationship and lived this way, well I wouldn’t be in a relationship or it would be a very unhealthy one. The question shouldn’t be do I really care, but more like Am I willing to become relational with those in my life? Am I willing to go into the deep end of people’s lives or just play around in the shallow end. I think we get so use to swimming in the shallow end because its safe and we know we won’t get that uncomfortable feeling like something is going to grab us under in the deep end. The truth is the deep end is dangerous and in our lives that’s where we find ourselves struggling. I have known this for a while, but since I started reading “The Emotionally Healthy Church” my eyes have been opened. I now know my soul is hungry for Christ and I have been starving it and just taking in empty calories. I have been putting things into my life with no substance or with too much Fat!! They taste good and feel good, but in the end they leave you wanting. Sorry for all the food examples, but it makes so much sense to me to explain it this way. I have been coaching for over 10 years and the many hundreds of football players and wrestlers who have come across my path, I have given good healthy nutrition advice. Yet, I look at myself and for some reason I do not feel like I am worth pursuing the same advice I am giving. This has happened in my spiritual life, God has given me a gift to write, speak and relate to so many people, but because of my lack of substance, I ask myself a silly question like ” Do I Really Care?” My life should be about those around me and letting God deal with me. When I have stopped to smell the roses, I have come to realize that He has put so many people in my life that really care about me. We are friends because of how Christ shines through me. They know I am broken and they know I am a healing in progress, but that gives them peace to know that if God can love someone like me, he can love them too. I still am in awe of how easily we are swayed by the lies of Satan, The World, and our own flesh. We will sooner listen to someone who says we suck, than to someone who says, You are So Awesome!!! UGH!! WHY?? God’s truth is love and this world has so many evil things going on in it, we should be fighting to get in line to be the light. You see we get into the world and we want what we see, we want the things that others have. Now, from reading this book, I have also learned a lot about people in the church and guess what, they are missing the mark as well. Jesus’ example to us was relational ministry, not how many people we can fit in a building, what the program looks like, whether a song is to high for the congregation to sing, along with how much we are doing for Jesus. Yeah, when I read the bible, there is nothing in there for how much we do for him, but that we simply DO!! In closing, the answer is yes I do really care about my life, my family, my friends and those whose hearts are in need of healing from the Almighty One. My prayer is that I will continue to listen and pursue the abundant life that Christ has set for us, which is Him. To give him glory in the tough times and good times. Look at your lives and see what your living for. If your foundation is not built on Christ and he is simply a brick in your building, you may need to demolish it and start over. As for me, spending time with God needs to be like how I will want to spend time with the woman he puts in my life to become my wife, A Joy and not a Task!! AMEN!
One Love, One Cross, One King, All Christ
