I love teenagers, so don't get me wrong when I say this, but I get annoyed to hear teenagers say, "She's my bestie" referring to every and all of their girlfriends. Some of their friends they really should not be "besties" with. And while I'm here, let me bump that a minute. Parents, you need to be aware of your children's friends and their homelife. And if you are aware, stop being a couch potato parent and put an end to some of these friendships!! I am always shocked at, not only the piers allowed in children's lives, but MOSTLY at the adults allowed in children's lives. Adults their children admire and respect. Are you kidding me?
I've heard it said you can't choose your child's friends. I beg to differ! That's where the difference of being friendly and friends come into play. I tell my kids all the time that it's one thing to be friendly and another thing to be friends. You are who your friends are. If you're going around announcing that your best friend is someone who dresses like a hoochie-mama or someone that has a reputation for being loose at times or weak in flesh, well what are people going to think about you? And that's not just for teenagers, but for the adults as well.
Ok, so several of us are on facebook. You know that to have someone on your facebook they are categorized as a "friend." I have over four hundred said "friends." That doesn't necessarily mean I am actually friends in real life with all four hundred people. It can mean a great many things. You WERE friends in real life, you're an acquaintance, a long time friend of the family, someone I went to church with a long time ago, someone I go to church with now, a family member, a blog buddy, etc....you get the idea.
As with anything on the computer, which can be used for good or evil, you have a choice to do just that. Use it for good or evil. When you blog or update your status on facebook, it's ok to put out everyday things and thoughts, but it's a wonderful way to lift up the name of Christ. To give Him glory for His goodness on your life. Most people that read your blog or read your status updates may not know Christ. If the world isn't physically seeing you, give them an opportunity to see Christ virtually through you!!
I was looking at pictures posted by a couple of different friends the other day, which spurned my desire to vent Tuesday, but I better thought that through. One friend, who does not claim to know the Lord, had pictures that were definitely of a worldly nature. It truly saddened my heart for their soul. Which made me want to say more and do more to lift up Christ in their eyes. As I scrolled down my home page, I saw other pictures. Pictures of people who do claim to know the Lord. People that are "faithful" to church. And a good church at that! And yet their pictures were just as worldly as the ones I had viewed just above them. This too, saddened me. Because I know that somewhere on their friend's list are people that do not know Christ. Somewhere on their friend's list are people that are dying and going to Hell. Have they shared the gospel with these people? Have they let them know what God is doing for them? And if they have, are those people listening or are they turning a deaf ear because the life these so-called "Christians" live in front of them does not run parallel to what they say? Jesus was never friends with the world, although He did show Himself friendly. Which is what He expects from us. We are to be friendly to the world, but not to be friends with the world.
Christians that hold hands with the world will often say, "Don't judge me! That's between me and God." But it's not, friend! As Christians, we do hold the right to stand in righteous judgement of each other. To hold one another accountable for what we say and do. Or as a dear Brother in our church says, Jesus made us fruit inspectors! Of course, when we do stand up and say something about bruised and rotten places in the fruit, we are said to be self-righteous. Holier than thou. I take no offence to that. These are words that are said when the "judge not Christian crowd" knows their wrong and refuse to repent and change their lifestyle.
As I said the other day "God does not expect an unsaved man to live a saved man's life. He only expects them to be saved. However, for the saved man to live an unsaved man's life, this is something that sickens God.
Sickens God. Can you imagine being one to make God sick? The thought of making God sick made me even more sad. I don't want to be that kind of Christian. I want to stand before Him and hear Him say "Well done." In 2010, I hope to lift Him up more. Praise Him more. Show Him to the world more!
Revelation 3:16 "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor
hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
