You stand blamelessly in the grocery store asking yourself, “Should I buy ziplock brand or is the off brand just as durable? Ziplock’s commercials always show the bags holding stuff and they even have freezer bags…hummm, which one should I choose?” You decide to buy both bags and see which one does better. You will run testing at home and check the validity of these bags for yourself. You go home load up both bags with soup and toss them into the freezer.
Are we daily battling to choose the real GOD or to choose the cheaper version of Christianity? Do we load God up with wants of our flesh and then check back later to see if he withstood our needs? Do we decide to pick both and orchestrate when to use the REAL Christianity vs. the cheaper version of Christianity? In our walk with God, we believe we have it handled most of the time, but then trials come and we say, “OK God, your turn!” James 1:2-4 says, “Dear borthers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. “
As Christ followers, when things are good, we are standing on the mountaintops. But when the trials/troubles come and break our pattern of peace or puts our faith to the test, we have trouble believing Christ can hold onto us. We act as though we received the off brand of Jesus. We decide to assist the situation for ourselves to find out what we believe in to protect us. We want to check the validity of our Lord. When we start testing the validity of our spiritual lives, we begin to fall into sin or temptation.
I remember being a college student, being invited to a party, knowing alcohol would be present. I would often think to myself, “I can go, I won’t drink!” I was checking the validity of relationship with Christ and eventually I failed the test. I put myself to the test, one too many times.
We have a choice to follow him, to ride the fence or reject him completely. Revelations 3:16 said, “But since you are like lukewarm water, I will vomit you out of my mouth.” God doesn’t want a forth, a half, or two-thirds, he wants all of us.He doesn’t want us to choose him one day and then try another god the next. When we endure whatever it is Christ brings into our lives, we will grow. Then our endurance is fully developed, we will be strong in character and ready for anything.
When ziplock first came out with their product they had no idea they would need specifically, freezer bags in the future to correct a problem. How did they determine this? They listened to buyer’s complaints and suggestions. When you face trials as a Christian, you don’t begin to conduct your own research methods to find a solution. You listen to your Heavenly Father, feel that deeper connection and communication and become dependent on the Lord. You can’t see the future, but God can. He wants to show his strength prevails over human strength.
God choose you friend. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Christ only supplies the best. Will you depend on Christ to hold you during the tough times, or will you decide to conduct your own experiment to see what brand of Christ you will choose.
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