Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Right Side IN

“What we do as followers of Christ flows out of who we are in Christ.Scott Savage Minister to Young Adults North Phoenix Baptist Church 

 
The mystery still remains when people ask the question, “Which came first the chicken or the egg?” Everyone has their own answer to that puzzle like many have different answers to, “where does what we do as followers in Christ flow from?” The only answer to that question is not a mystery it is plain and simple, it comes from who we are in Christ.

 It starts with who we are IN Christ. Like the old saying goes, garbage in, garbage out. What comes out of our mouths flows from what is in our hearts. What we do as followers of Christ flows out of who we are in Christ. It’s as simple as that. Without Christ on the inside of us it will never show up on the outside.

 It begins with inviting Christ into our lives and then making the room for Him to work, live, and operate. Christ wasn’t meant to be a couch potato living at our place doing absolutely nothing. We are the ones that make Him out to be that way by not allowing Him access to every part of our lives.

 Christ wasn’t meant to be put up on a shelf and dusted off with the family Bible whenever we need a prayer answered or a scripture found. He is designed to work from the inside out. Too often we find ourselves wearing our clothes inside out and it just doesn’t work. This weekend as I got my grandson ready for church I noticed he had his shirt on inside out. The convincing element for him to believe me was the tag hanging out in the back.

 Why isn’t it that simple to let people know they are wearing their spiritual clothes inside out? They think wearing a cross around their necks, going to church on Sunday, never committing adultery or any of the "big” sins makes them a Christian. That is a totally backward, inside out attitude on what needs to be. They are trying to dress from the outside in not the inside out.

 It can’t be said enough that Christ needs to be on the inside where He is allowed to operate. By doing that our spiritual walk is launched into something that demonstrates we have Christ living in our house and the flow begins. How we operate the spiritual home of our heart will determine what flows out in the things we do. Plain and simple we need to keep Christ active and available by the choices we make, the attitudes we display, the willingness we have to allow Him the access to the most important part of our lives, our heart, His home.

 Christ in, Christ out. It’s as simple as that. Where it gets complicated is when we try to hold back pieces of our lives for ourselves and close off access to rooms we don’t want to give up. Rooms that is full of resentment, anger, “our rights”, bad choices, and so much more. Time is now to open up that access and allow Christ on the inside and start to wear our spiritual clothes on right.

 Right side in means Christ on the INside, flowing out in all we say and do!

 
Our host today is Debbie at Heart Choices, you need to get over there to see and share with the rest of the gang on this great quote.

 

 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, Karen, I love what about being inside out. I think I'll check my tags...ha!

Very well put. :)

Debbie Petras said...

Karen, I love the example you used with the t-shirt that was inside out. What great insight you shared with this quote and such truths. Loved it and thank you for always participating in "In Other Words Tuesday".

Blessings and love,
Debbie