Hi Singles!
I hear this so many times from Christians: "I want someone totally sold out for God!!!" which, of course, is WONDERFUL. I'm not saying it should be any other way.
BUT, I DO wonder if that person who was "totally sold out for God" showed up on our doorstep, would we recognize who the person was? After all, the Pharisee accused Jesus of blasphemy and told Him that He received all His power from the devil.
I'm not saying it would have to be anything that drastic, of course, but I'm curious... in your opinion, what does the life of someone totally "sold out" for God look like?
As an example, I recently heard a message by Kevin Leal (Key Ministries) in which he was explaining that someone anointed for business or nursing or even janitorial work is no less Godly than someone anointed for the ministry--as Christians, we just seem to think that someone called to spend all their time in a church is somehow more Godly than someone God might have called to be in other fields. God has individual plans for all of us and not everyone can be a pastor or teacher.
My Dad is a prime example of this--he dreamed of being a pastor, but took on a job in business because he had a young family to support. Some would say he betrayed his calling and should have gone into the ministry, "relying on God to provide." That may well be, but it was all for a reason. Last year, my Dad's dream of becoming a pastor finally came true, and my parent's ministry (all done for free and in their own spare time) is based on helping people get out of debt--all his time in business was for a reason, and, I believe, truly led by God. One of my Dad's first jobs in the business world was to turn around a company that was in a financial pit--now he does the same thing in his ministry, except with individual people.
I myself often think that I would not be seen as a "suitable catch" to a guy who believes he is totally sold out for God. I pray daily, study God's Word, and enjoy my church but am not someone who could go to 3 services a week and spend all my time there--I've done so in the past, and while I'll go through times of intense study, I know that I feel much more comfortable in things such as small, home-based groups. At this point, I have no interest in teaching or leading a group. I enjoy being a good student and helping the host, such as by volunteering to do the dishes before I leave. I just feel it's something I'm called to do (to be a support person to the leader.)
Sometimes I kind of doubt I'll impress a "good Christian guy" because I won't be the one in the forefront--I'll be in the back scrubbing something down, going to a prison to talk to an inmate, or asking a war veteran how his/her experiences have personally affected their faith. I have absolutely NO interest in the spotlight, which would probably be a huge turn-off to someone who has that "bold" faith so many Christians seem to talk about.
How about the rest of you? What makes you "totally sold out for God"? And, if someone asked you how can you recognize someone else who is sold out for God, what would be your answer?
Does the person for you have to be "totally sold out for God" in exactly the same way?
I hear this so many times from Christians: "I want someone totally sold out for God!!!" which, of course, is WONDERFUL. I'm not saying it should be any other way.
BUT, I DO wonder if that person who was "totally sold out for God" showed up on our doorstep, would we recognize who the person was? After all, the Pharisee accused Jesus of blasphemy and told Him that He received all His power from the devil.
I'm not saying it would have to be anything that drastic, of course, but I'm curious... in your opinion, what does the life of someone totally "sold out" for God look like?
As an example, I recently heard a message by Kevin Leal (Key Ministries) in which he was explaining that someone anointed for business or nursing or even janitorial work is no less Godly than someone anointed for the ministry--as Christians, we just seem to think that someone called to spend all their time in a church is somehow more Godly than someone God might have called to be in other fields. God has individual plans for all of us and not everyone can be a pastor or teacher.
My Dad is a prime example of this--he dreamed of being a pastor, but took on a job in business because he had a young family to support. Some would say he betrayed his calling and should have gone into the ministry, "relying on God to provide." That may well be, but it was all for a reason. Last year, my Dad's dream of becoming a pastor finally came true, and my parent's ministry (all done for free and in their own spare time) is based on helping people get out of debt--all his time in business was for a reason, and, I believe, truly led by God. One of my Dad's first jobs in the business world was to turn around a company that was in a financial pit--now he does the same thing in his ministry, except with individual people.
I myself often think that I would not be seen as a "suitable catch" to a guy who believes he is totally sold out for God. I pray daily, study God's Word, and enjoy my church but am not someone who could go to 3 services a week and spend all my time there--I've done so in the past, and while I'll go through times of intense study, I know that I feel much more comfortable in things such as small, home-based groups. At this point, I have no interest in teaching or leading a group. I enjoy being a good student and helping the host, such as by volunteering to do the dishes before I leave. I just feel it's something I'm called to do (to be a support person to the leader.)
Sometimes I kind of doubt I'll impress a "good Christian guy" because I won't be the one in the forefront--I'll be in the back scrubbing something down, going to a prison to talk to an inmate, or asking a war veteran how his/her experiences have personally affected their faith. I have absolutely NO interest in the spotlight, which would probably be a huge turn-off to someone who has that "bold" faith so many Christians seem to talk about.
How about the rest of you? What makes you "totally sold out for God"? And, if someone asked you how can you recognize someone else who is sold out for God, what would be your answer?
Does the person for you have to be "totally sold out for God" in exactly the same way?
thats a great point. 
