1.27.09

Fellowship is something that I have struggled with a lot in my life. I have always gone to church and had my church friends and then had my "not so church" friends. I lived this double-life and was being two different people around certain friends. This is a constant battle that a lot of us deal with. In my life, it is hard not going back to the old ways, but they have all come to pass in my life. I am only getting through this because I am trusting in God and not only myself...God wants us to grow with Him and also with the help of others. I strongly believe in being open and accountable with someone. In this crazy life, we can become wrapped up and our views can become skewed and influenced in ways that are not pleasing to God. We all need fellowship of other believers to energize us and hold us accountable to the things we believe in. In connection to this, I strive to become more of a man of integrity everyday. Integrity is doing and meaning what you say. I have realized how hard it is to try and do this constant daily battle alone. If we are not surrounding ourselves with good fellowship through friends it is not impossible, but it is much more difficult to resist temptations and fail. But on the other hand, I do know how rewarding it is to stand up in hard situations for what is right. It is very good to be connected to the "lost," so you can make a positive impact and show the love of Jesus through your words and actions. Jesus sets a perfect example in Mark 2:15-17, "When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and `sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Jesus showed us how He never left anyone of his grand equation. I believe that if you do little things to help serve someone it will have a huge impact on their life. Have a wonderful day and try to help out someone in need today...in a big or small way!