Bringing Christ into Everyday Life

Too many of us only think about the Lord on Sunday morning. We wake up Sunday morning, shower, fix breakfast, relax a little, and then get ready for Church. We attend the service, visit with friends, sing, pray, put money in the collection plate, listen to the sermon, and then we get out of church, and go on with our lives. By Monday morning our minds are on bills, car repairs, miscellaneous expenses, work, and what we are going to have for supper that night. The rest of the work week is pretty much the same. On Saturday, we relax, maybe play golf, go to the movies, go to the club, spend time outdoors eat out, go to a special event like a fair or concert, or just stay home and watch TV. By Sunday morning, our minds are finally back to God again.

This is how it is for millions of Americans. We make hundreds of things more important than Christ. Worshipping the Lord is something we just do once a week. The rest of the time we are preoccupied with other things. It doesn't have to be that way. We can bring God into our everyday life. The obvious is attending Church activities throughout the week such as Wednesday night Bible study, men's and women's groups, volunteering for a Church charity. Then there are also daily Bible readings and such publications as The Upper Room and Our Daily Bread,  not to mention various Christian programs on TV. But to be real Christians we have to move beyond such things. These are only the trappings of Christianity, things to keep our mind to be focus on God. To be truly Christian one must practice the teachings of Jesus Christ every - single - day.

It's all right there in the Bible, Jesus tells us how to live. I probably do not need to tell people these Bible verses. Any Christian worth his or her mettle knows them, but here are a few anyway.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Matthew 22:37-39)

 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you: do ye even so to them: for this

is the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12).

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 6:1)

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you (Matthew 7:1-3)

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away (Matthew 5:42)

He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise (Luke 3:11).

Christians are to treat others as they wish to be treated, love God and love others, not judge, and give to the less fortunate. There are many other verses on how to behave oneself, but to me these are the core of being Christian. Too often we get caught up in trying to get ahead, of thinking about ourselves and the ones we care for that we are mean or disrespectful of others, treat the less fortunate poorly, and otherwise focus on ourselves. We are, to quote a George Harrison song all about, "I, Me, Mine." We forget what Jesus has told us to do.

I am as guilty of it as anyone. I become focused on work. I do things to make my own life more enjoyable and comfortable without a thought of others. I am overly proud of my accomplishments, I step on other people to further my own ambitions. Then I have to remind myself, that is not what Jesus has told me to do. Please make sure not to do the same.