Are You Living or Existing?

Sometimes as I'm dozing off to sleep, I have the greatest thought provoking messages. I am currently on a 48 hour shift at the fire department and am incredibly tired, however this seemed too good to sleep on. As I was drifting to sleep; thinking; meditating on the day's events and passages I had read, the tones went off and we had to respond to a call. Now, almost two hours later, I am writing this because I will not be able to sleep until I do.

The question I pose is the title of this entry: Are You Living or Existing?

Picture yourself at the Grand Canyon. It is a beautiful and majestic site to behold. The terrain has been perfectly sculpted for our viewing pleasure by the Colorado River.

Now the canyon, in all of its splendor, well, just sits there. It is stagnate and mute; existing. The river, on the other hand, is flowing. It is moving and yet still cutting away at the rocky crevices. It is living. I use this analogy because this is the expression of many "Christians" today. They exist in the knowledge of Christ yet refuse to live for Him. In Matthew 28:18-20, Christ commissioned us to "Go":

• Not just to church to absorb sermon after sermon only to forget about it before the ball-game starts. We know more lyrics to songs, statistics of athletes, and what's coming on the television for an entire month than we do God's holy Word. cf. Romans 2:13
• And subsequently not just to study His Word in its literal, historical, and grammatical context (hermeneutics) without ever practicing and applying them to our everyday lives.

Jesus said, "Go":

• make disciples
• baptize [disciples]
• teach [disciples]

It is time to begin living for Christ and not just existing by His grace. Here's a few questions one may ask themselves to see whether they are living or existing for Christ.

• Are you praying?
• Are you testifying the love, grace, and mercy that was given to you with others (i.e., your testimony)?
• Are you excited of the gift that was given to you?

Additionally, a very important consideration is if your acceptance of Christ to be Lord and Savior over your life was truly genuine. Did your lifestyle change? Did it remain changed?

Scripture says that it is not for us to judge, however we are to remain diligent in the recognition of other believers by the fruit they have and continue to produce (Matthew 7:15-16; 20). Otherwise our ranks may be infiltrated by a formidable and determined enemy that is hell-bent (pardon the pun) on our destruction.

So what fruit have you produced? What fruit do you bear? Are you living for Christ by the application of His Word in your everyday life and practices or are you merely existing in a knowledge of Him?

-blessings