I often see this lack of devotion to the Christianity to the constant shifting of loyalty to anything these days. With so many things, i.e. fashion, fads, friends, music, relationships, teens rarely see anything worth being devout to, let alone a religion that they have been told is possibly fake…
“Everyday we wake up there is a war going on. Not in Iraq, or Afghanistan, but a war for your soul. The world is trying to take you down; tell you that you are nothing; tell you how you should dress; what to say; what to believe; what you have to accomplish to be “cool.” I say that in spite of this war, NOW is the time to stand up for what we believe. We are not ashamed, we are not afraid. We are AWAKE AND ALIVE! God has given us a message of love and it’s time for us to speak it and live it.” -John Cooper of Skillet I know I’ve posted this quote before but lately this quote has been on my mind. I’ve seen John Cooper say this live about 3 times. It never gets old. The last time i saw him say it was on the creed tour with my buddy Michael. And then thats when it started to make me think. Looking around you can tell that things have changed and people try too hard to fit in and stray away from whats right sometimes. I’m not talking about an individual but i’m talking everywhere. It hurts watching that happen but we can not allow this to happen to ourselves. Be an individual but be one for God. If you know its wrong but your friends do it then why would you? Do whats right! We believe in God and lets show it! Now IS the time! We cant lose ourselves to what people consider “cool” or just trying to “fit in”! We should find ourselves in what God finds acceptable! Getting back to the basics again! This is what its about! Going back to what we learned in Sunday school and church and youth groups. or what our parents taught us growing up and the values and morals we see slowly disappearing from the world. I know it seems like i was rambling on but its just something i think has to be said and has been heavy on my heart and mind to say, and John Cooper hit the nail on the head with that quote and song Awake and Alive by Skillet.
You see, it’s not our words; our words are not what’s going to stop the world in their tracks. Our words will not change the world, they’ve heard it all. It’s not normally our music; normally we make our music for us, for the body, so that we can sharpen each other, edify the body, glorify our God. Once in a while one crosses over but it’s not typically the music that’s going to stop the world in its tracks. Our music’s not going to change the world more than likely. It’s not our buildings, as grand and beautiful as some of our church buildings are; it’s not the architecture that’s going to change the world.
But what I do believe is going to change the world is when we begin to love one another and when we begin to love the world and when we begin to reach out to the orphans and the widows and the lower income families in our communities. When the world sees that kind of love, I’m talking about undeniable love, I believe they’ll stop in their tracks and say Yo! Whatever you people have over there – I want some of that baby – I want some of that right there for me.
When our houses are packed so full of love that we have to open up the back door to let it ooze out into the valleys and the suburbs and the city streets. When the world sees that kind of love – real love – they’re going to stop in their tracks and say homey-homey, whatever you have over there – you Jesus Freaks – I want some of that man – I want some of that Jesus for me if it’s doin’ all that. ~ Toby Mac
