A life lived beyond expections

Meet Chelly. She grew up in a Christian home surrounded by Christian people and principles. She had wonderful Christian friends and was taught what was right from a very young age. Chelly eventually became a young woman who was involved in the church and with her youth group. Still, something seemed to be missing in her life. She wanted to have a closer walk with Christ. She wanted her pray-life to be strong and persevering; a life that glorified God in all it’s aspects. She shared this with one of her friends but received merely skepticism. “What do you mean?” said her friend. “You already spend time in your Bible everyday and are actively involved in ministry. How would you find the time for anything more?” So, with this discouragement, Chelly laid aside the feeling of lack saying, “If that’s good enough for her, then it’s good enough for me.”

The months and years passed. She got married and had children, yet she still felt that something was missing. She wasn’t sure what it was but she knew it was something. One day she shared her feelings with the wife of her church’s pastor. The woman immediately told her that what she felt missing was a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. She told Chelly that all it took was willingness and effort on her side- God was more than willing to fellowship with her. Chelly felt something inside of her that she had kept repressed for so long rise up in agreement with everything that the woman had said, and she left feeling like God had truly touched her heart.

She tackled the challenge with gusto and was not one bit sorry! Chelly felt more alive than she had felt in years; she wanted to share it with her friends and husband! She started by telling her husband but, like it had happened so many years ago, she met with incredulity and doubt. Her husband was a Christian, but what was this that she was talking about. “A personal relationship”?? Well, he certainly couldn’t see what she was talking about. He had been a Christian all his life yet he had never felt anything like what she was describing. She was disappointed. “What is wrong with me?” she thought to herself. “Could it be that I am merely being led by my own feelings? Should I really dedicate all that time to prayer?”

Now, Chelly did not leave off praying immediately. She continued for weeks, but the time that she set aside gradually became less and less. She wanted to pray and listen to God’s voice, but the feelings that she had couldn’t be from God; not when everyone around her was content where they were. Whenever she felt down and despairing she would merely repeat to herself, “If it’s good enough for them, then it’s good enough for me.”

And that’s how she lived out the rest of her life, knowing that there was something missing yet content to be “the same as everyone else”.

---

How many of us live lives like Chelly's? How many of us are content living at the minimal rather than the utmost? How sad it would be for us to come before God and Him to ask, "Why did you never seek me? I loved you so much and all I wanted was to be with you; yet you rejected and ignored me." What will you be able to say? "I'm sorry Lord! It's just that..." you fill in the blank.

But that's not how it has to be!! Embrace the journey; Christ or nothing! Live your life seeking God and not conforming to the norm. What does the Bible say about living in that manner?

---

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

---

So what it says is that God wants us to show the world through our actions who He is!! Wow! What a huge responsibility! How much of His reputation has He staked on our conduct!

---

2 Thessalonians 1:10-12

10When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
11Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power:
12That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

[My emphasis added]

---

The calling we have received, to live our lives to the utmost, is not an easy calling. The Bible itself tells us that we SHALL be persecuted. But it also tells us that, through prayer, we can and will be victorious!

---

Jude 1:17-21
17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

---

2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

---

HAVE YOU???