Are you different?

Are you happy with your self, are you happy with where your life is, are you chasing your dreams or the dreams someone else is dreaming? I've been thinking a lot lately about how fake our society is. You have Hollywood and movie stars that think if they stretch this piece of skin, or cut off this flab, or add extensions to their hair, that their lives will be so much more wonderful. We live in a society where a young 14 year old girl is worried about if she is thin enough, or if she has the right color hair. We have teenagers having plastic surgery before they can even drive. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to look like a supermodel with great hair...without the grey highlights, no pudgy wudgy around my midsection, a few less sun spots on my face but you know what, that stuff doesn't matter one bit at all. Christian artist, Johnny Diaz, has a song out called "Beautiful You". The words of this song are powerful and true. Take a minute and listen to the words, they are sure to bless you.

God isn't concerned with us being like the person sitting beside us at a restaurant, or the supermodel/movie star on the red carpet, He see us for who He made us to be. Our life that we are living is the life that He chose for us, and we should be content with that. We have to find peace and joy within ourselves first. No plastic surgery, no $100 pair of jeans, no car, nothing materialistic is going to make our lives 'better'. Yeah, sure those things will make you smile and make you 'look' good but if you're hearts still not happy behind closed doors when you're by yourself, you might want to re-examine your life.

I was faced with a situation tonight that left me thinking, how sad that their life is like that. How sad that they are so miserable within their own world that they have to chase after someone else's. A good friend of mine sent me a message and spoke some true, true words. She said "Be satisfied with what God gave you because it's HIS BEST FOR YOU!!!!!!  You shouldn't want what other people have, it's second best."  Think about it, chasing someone else's dream is that really going to bring you happiness? No, it's not. Trying to be like someone you watch on t.v., or listen to on the radio, that's not you.  You shouldn't want what other people have. God has you at this point in your life for a purpose, if you are having a rough time, facing difficult decisions it's not that He is against you, often times He is trying to teach us. We're just too hardheaded to listen to what He's telling us.

The more I think about being yourself, the more I don't understand why people try so hard. Think about it, you walk through the mall and you see a group of teenagers and almost everyone of them is dressed identical to the other. All the girls have almost the exact same hairstyle, parted on the same side of their head in the exact same spot. They all talk the same, they all have the same body language, yet they think they are individuals. Are they?! Not in my book. What about the church goers that you see on Sunday morning, Bible in hand following the routine and what they are 'supposed' to be doing, but do they do that during the week??? Do you see where I'm going with this? I'm stepping on my own toes here, because I am not the A#1 Christian to be following. BUT... I want to be better. I want to stand out, but I want to stand out for God. I want to be the one that looks different and starts a trend that others want to follow. I've told myself that my top resolution for this 2010 year is to walk closer, hand in hand with my saviour. I want to know the Bible more, I want to be in a situation and remember a verse from God's word to get me through that time. I think it is high time that Christians stand tall and take a stand for our beliefs and the things that really matter in this world. It's not the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the house you live in.... it's the love in your heart. It's the testimony that you present each time you have to wait in line at Wal-Mart for twenty minutes. It's the actions that speak 'I'm a Christan', and I'm proud of it.

This weekend our city hosted Winter Jam 2010. I didn't have the opportunity to go this year but I did two years ago and what a blessing to be in a coliseum with thousands of Christians all praising and worshiping Jesus Christ. As I was getting driving on Saturday I heard the D.J. say that they had over 10,000 people at the concert on Friday night. A smile immediately came across my face and I knew great things had happened in that place. I remember the year my sister and I went how moving it was. To know that the place was filled with believers and they were not ashamed to show that they were praising God. Think about it, if we can get our young people on fire for Christ what a difference they will make in this world. It is a dark world. A dark world in search of something but so many don't even know the real thing that they are searching for. I think if Christians were to really stand up and storm this country like the celebrities of Hollywood are doing, that we would have a nation that is full of peace, love, and joy. We'd have a nation that had individuals, people that stand out because they stand up for Christ Jesus.

My heart is burdened for several friends and family members that I know are far from Christ. Their lives are troubled, their hearts are heavy. It is my prayer that they will quit chasing the things of the world, and chase the one thing that will get them out of this world. Our days are short, and numbered. We're not promised our next breath, nor are we promised tomorrow. Will you take a stand today to be different? Will you be a trendsetter for God?