Are you a Couch Potato Christian?

OK, this might be one of those long blogs, but I think it's worth reading :-)

This weekend's Bible Study by Pastor Bob Coy and things that I've been hearing and experiencing lately with people I know, inspired me to write this blog.
And the question is: Are you a Couch Potato or a Hands-on Christian?? Do you choose the couch or the Cross??

I googled the words "Couch Potato" and the first thing on the list of results was a test to see if you are a Couch Potato or not...I changed it a little bit and encourage you to answer the following questions and then keep reading the blog.

1. Do you go to Church at least once a week because you feel you "have" to go listen to the Pastor, worship God and “meet” with him, but when you leave the Church ground you don't share your faith with anyone else?

2. Do you read your Bible because is the manual for life, but once the book is closed, you don't feel even a tiny bit of change and desire to serve?

3. Your Church is organizing an event to help people in need on a Saturday morning and you have the free time to go do it, but instead choose to sleep a little longer?

4. You know the Bible from A to Z, have memorized many verses, tell people what they should or shouldn't do because "the Bible says it" BUT when it comes to you, you're still partying, being disrespectful to others, renting the wrong movies and doing everything YOU KNOW you shouldn't do? After all, nobody is watching! (Just let me remind you on this one that God is ALWAYS watching....yes, sorry!)

5. Christmas time is just around the corner...Your Church is asking you to donate toys or some cash to help people who are not able to have these things for the holidays, but you think that with that money you could get yourself that nice Shirt, those expensive shoes or the tickets to the new football or baseball season?

6. You are at work or with a group of friends who are not saved, talking about your weekend. They start talking about their "Happy Hour" on Friday, about their hang over on the weekend, about how bad they treated their mom the other day (even laughing about it) or how they dated many men or women just in ONE weekend, only to "have fun", and all you do is listen and laugh pretending you agree, instead of sharing how you went to Church, went to a christian concert or helped to feed the homeless with your Church family?

OK, enough with the questions. If you were honest and answered YES to at least one of these questions...You are a potential "couch potato christian" and if you answered YES to all of them...Then you really are a couch potato christian.

When people die, we always see their picture or name with the day they were born, A DASH LINE, and the year they passed away. Our Pastor asked a very important question last weekend...What are YOU going to do with the dash?!?!?!?
Jesus died on that cross to give us life abundantly (John 10:10), not a mediocre life. Every time I feel like "giving up", I remember the precious life he gave for my sake and that alone should be an inspiration for us who love him to live in such a way that everything we do, say or even think, glorifies his name.

If God chose us as his children, I'm sure it's not only because he loves us so much that he wants us to be saved, but because he wants us to tell others about this salvation that is available to all...He wants us to SHARE!!
I'm preaching to myself as I write, because many times I've felt embarrassed, especially at work, to share the Gospel. Embarrassed to tell people about my testimony, not realizing that a lot of these people have such heavy burdens inside that they desperately need a little bit of light in their life.

It also makes me sad to see how much need for help there is in the world: poverty, abortion, aids, starvation...And as christians, we don't get involved and try to do something about these things.
Sometimes we think we can only give a little and since it's "too little", we end up not giving anything at all.
That even used to be my case, until God reminded me of the grains of sand. Little tiny pieces that when put altogether, a beautiful beach is formed.

Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 to "...go and make disciples of all nations..." He didn't tell us to get saved and live in our own bubble, without sharing his amazing love for us with others.
Being a christian is a journey, an amazing one...Let's make the most out of it! Let's live in a way that the world can tell that there's a difference in our life, a good one...And that this difference, makes them point out to Jesus, our LORD and Savior.
Let us respond to God's calling of serving, getting involved and not only talking the talk, but also walking the walk.
Let us stop being "Couch Potato" christians and letting others miss out on this amazing walk that Salvation through Jesus provides.
Let us love one another in such a way that the world around us gets overwhelmed, and let them tell "they really are his disciples".
Let us not only go to Church out of "obligation", but with a heart to meet with our LORD, worship him and get our Spirit fed with his word.
Let us SHARE this Gospel with the world and not be afraid of rejection and laughs, for if others can speak boldly of partying hard, getting drunk or sleeping with strangers, why can't we speak boldly about the man who took our place on that cross??
Let us get involved in every outreach to those in need, to the broken hearted and let us never think it's too little...Remember what we can all do if we all give "one grain of sand".
Let us not turn our backs on those who suffer, but let us reach out our arms in love and let them know about our Savior and find comfort.
May the breath of the LORD's kindness through us, blow everything else away.

Let us live in such a way, that at the end of our life, that dash line is bold, underlined and with exclamation marks!!!!!
May people say...He/She really lived to serve and love others...He/She really took up his/her cross and followed Jesus...While we stand on Heaven's gates as they open up for us to enter and hear that loving, peaceful voice saying "Well done, my good and faithful servant"...AMEN!