He is jealous for me

God is good.

I can't ever forget that. While we toil away down here (or so we think), all He desires is for us to know Him, and to be with Him. He gave everything for us.

Sometimes, we do things to be cool. So the world looks at us and doesn't see stereo-typical crazy Christians, but people just like them who also are Christians. Sometimes, this is a good thing. In the right situation, this allows people to enter into conversation and relationships that some followers of Christ could not. Other times, looking like the world can be twisted. With its temptations, it can draw out sin that we have held on to. It can lead us to rebel against Christ. It also demonstrates that we don't fully understand that Christ wants us to live the full, new lives he has for us. We end up rejoining the world instead of reaching the world. I know that I have fallen into this trap before.

Sometimes, we put on a face for the world. We love others out of responsibility, guilt, shame, or agenda. We don't give grace freely to the body. We judge others secretly and rank them below ourselves. We measure each other by what we do (good and bad). We do things out of duty. Inside we are wasting away. I do this all of the time.

The Spirit really spoke to me about these things today. Today I was frustrated by people acting like the world while I put on my holier than thou face.

Christ calls us to be radically different. To lay down our lives and pick up our cross. So when the world see us, they see Christ. They see love, grace, forgiveness. They see hope.

That sounds like something that I want to be about.