Declaring Praise

I'm tired. 

I feel like I should be doing something productive other than spilling my thoughts but my brain won't even let me get that far...

Life, define it and let your brain think on that.

Did you get tired thinking about it?

Did you groan and think of all the things waiting for you when you get off work?

Did you get anxious just thinking about the future and what it may hold?

Did you think one of these, or something else related to it?

Now if you don't want to read a post with me doing nothing but rambling... Please don't continue.My brain is on automatic and I need something to do other than starring at Facebook for the next hour. Who knows maybe I'll actually get a profound thought to work from the back of my head down to my finger tips that are freezing from living in a perpetual state of frozeness.

Back to what I was talking about in the beginning.

The word: Life.

Shouldn't it be a word that's one of excitement? 

A word that makes us happy, and possibly even hopeful when we think about it?

Why is it one that's filled with anxious thoughts, dread, worry, groans, and sighs?

Obviously, I'm not going to talk about what other people think, I'm going to talk about my opinion so, here's what I think:

We are instructed by Christ to live in the world and not of it.

IN vs. OF

I could give you the definitions of them but anyone who's been through the 1st grade know what they mean.

But what do they mean when we put them into context? Specifically the context of this verse:

 "Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of you mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

So lets put this into perspective... Christ calls us to be in the world, simply meaning, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." The will of God is to be proclaiming God's word and His salvation to all people. Like I said in a current post A Piece of My Heart which I wrote when I came home from Guatemala about the will of God.

But first before we are in the world, we have to stop being of the world. 

Put off your old sinful nature and strive to live like Christ. It says in Romans 6:6 that we are not slaves to sin any longer, but we act in accordance to righteousness. Gods righteousness, through the gift of His son, Jesus.

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin bit alive to God in Jesus Christ. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey it's evil desires. Do not offer parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been bought from death to life;and offer parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." ~ Romans 6:11-14

So back to what you think about when you hear the word: Life.

 As followers of Jesus we are commanded to stop living the old way of life and focus on the task before us: His good, pleasing and perfect will.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you maydeclare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."~ 1 Peter 2:9

So life as a follower of Christ means we:

Declare praises.

Approve of Gods will (meaning you act in His will)

Living a life of grace, and righteousness.

So when we grunt, groan, and sigh about the future, or life in general, are we living for Him? Is the Creator of Heaven and Earth hearing our praises, is He seeing us live in his will, and watching us become like Him?

"Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of you mind...."

In Him.

Rachel