Thoughts at 3:00 in the AM

Pretty sure I have insomnia!.....Anyways...


While reading Luke tonight the Idea of Denying yourself came up, so I decided to blog about it like I did a while back...Because if anything it helps me get my thoughts written down so I can see them and remember what I read....anyways


   Luke 9:23-24 says, " ²³And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.²⁴For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it ."


    I think I have always believed that this verse means that we just have to live for God and endure hardships, but tonight it meant so much more....Tonight it struck me that this also means that we have to abstain from the sin that keeps us far from God, and take our convictions with us every day, and everywhere we go...(if that makes any sense)...This means that none of our Earthly desires should come in the way of God...(easy to say,not so easy to do!!) 
   Side note:  (This is where I personally fall short....sure I can post verses and posts on what verses I read and what I think about them, but when it comes down to the rubber meeting the road...[hope I am using this analogy correctly]...I fall short...why is this?) I think this is where a whole bunch of Christians end up as well...
    Anyways how can we apply this in our everyday lives? That is what I have been pondering myself...I think we can understand that as Christians, and as people, we will have to endure hardships, but as followers of Christ we will never face them alone, we have support! Also we need to bring our convictions with us wherever we may go...School? Work? with friends?...Grocery Store?...Wherever! If you can take anything from this I guess it is that we will have to endure hardships, and give the worldly things we still hold on to to God....And not hold onto our old lives or baggage (Like the Chair video...we want God to rule our lives except for certain gray areas of it that you still hold onto...You have to make decision!)...but always remember God loves you!!  "²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?"

Thanks Planet Earth!