volume

"If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be stopped?

Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master.

Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath.

It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad.

That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God." -1 Peter 3:13-18

I grew up thinking the message translation of the Bible was a bad thing. I was told to stay away from it because it leaves a lot out. This might be true, it might not be true. But I do know that God uses this translation to speak to me a lot more than he's ever used the King James Version. I read the message almost the same way I speak. Almost the same way I write. So for me, it is perfect. Also, I enjoy some of the words chosen for verses a lot more than other translations. Just a little side note on the message translation that I wanted to throw out there because I doubt I'm the only one who was taught this. So now you know ;)

So if I'm doing good with heart and soul I'm unstoppable? I'm like the spiritual "Thing" from Fantastic Four right? Clobbering the Devil when it comes to tempt me? Or is this a different type of unstoppable? A type that is beyond ourselves? A type that goes beyond ourselves? Isn't this type of unstoppable the reason why we can watch movies like Braveheart or Gladiator and admire William Wallace or Maximus? When our beliefs and ideas extend beyond our own physical bodies and lives? Isn't this how Jesus was and is unstoppable?

He wasn't unstoppable because he was unable to be beat physically, for we took his life from him. Not because of the friends he had, for they dispersed when he was taken into custody. But because of what he believed in. What he held to be true. What he was willing to bleed for. What he was willing to die for. People don't recognize true passion until there is sacrifice, because nobody chooses to hurt. No one WANTS to sacrifice; to bleed or die, but when they step over that line. When someone hits bottom and places there passion before their own well being...that; that is beautiful.

How do I reach this mindset? How do I get closer to hitting bottom? How could I ever know I'm willing to die for my savior if need be?

I think these are questions that help us to learn to live life to the fullest. To use a quote from Fight Club:

"After fighting, everything else in your life got the volume turned down."

I think that this quote can relate. For those of you who know me somewhat well know I like to compare a lot of Christian principles from quotes and parts from Fight Club :X haha, but just like after a fight, after we become aware of our relationship with God, truly aware (I say this because I was a "Christian" way before I understood my relationship as well as some of you might be), what comes naturally afterwards should be everything else losing its volume.

After being Christian, everything else in your life got the volume turned down.

What does this look like for you?

I'm slowly discovering what it looks like to me.