Day 257: Occupy Your Street

*It's late I know, I'm sorry. I promise I'm going to get back to a set schedule. I've been running around like a made person between show, school, and work. So please bare with me.*

1 Corinthians 7:20-24

Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. 21 Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. 22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.23 God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters

When we give our lives to Christ our lives change for the better. We become better people all around. We start to love differently, see the world differently. It’s a really beautiful thing. With that comes this burning desire to want to share Jesus with everyone. Wanting to go all over the place telling people about this magnificent man, who changed our lives, and that He can do the same for someone else. That’s beautiful, it’s great, but sometimes we too quick to move out of the position God has us in in order to be in a place that seems more Godly to us. Meaning we often feel like we must make drastic changes to our life as opposed to our lifestyle. What I mean by that is we often give ourselves an ultimatum when it comes to our faith or coming to our faith for the first time. We tell ourselves, “It’s either God or this, God or that.” Or we often try to separate our life as a Christian from our personal life, those two things are not and should not be separate. We never think about the fact that God has us where we are for a reason, that He saved us where we are for a reason. That there are some people where we are that need guidance. But we cannot give it to them if we are too busy looking for a more Godly place to spend our time, or share the Good News of Christ.

I remember deciding to give up acting when I was sixteen because I had just become a Christian. Although it was something that needed to happen, I felt like the only reason I did it at the time was because the career I had chosen was not Christian enough. So I begrudgingly walked away and I was miserable for most of the five years that I tried to suppress the very thing that God has gifted me to do. Something that I know I was made for. My journey back to acting was longer than it needed to be, because even when  I knew the time was right I kept suppressing it because I felt like it wasn’t good enough. It would take away from who I was as a Christian. You ever been in place where you try to tell God what is Godly and what isn’t? I’m not going to do that because I have to help feed these kids in Africa that’s more Godly. I think you will approve of that more.

I have found that occupying my street and being where I am is the best thing possible. For example I am still an actress, but acting means so much more to me now than it did before because I have given my life to Christ. So everytime I walk on to that set, step on that stage, or give a performance of any kind I am giving it my all. I am doing it as if God Himself is sitting in the audience, and through that I can glorify Him. So wherever you are, whatever you are doing, do it all to the glory of God. Give everything, put your heart and soul into it. When I here that statement, “do it for the glory of God” I was always under the impression that it meant, do it in a church. Do it for a church event, make sure I’m only speaking ‘Christianese”. Wherever you are, whatever you do, glorify God, from right where you are. That’s what it means to occupy your street. You don’t always have to travel halfway across the world to do the Lord’s work, you can do it right here.

Mission isn’t just about traveling to another country to build houses. That’s one form of missionary work but what about where you are? What about the street you are on that has kids who need guidance, people who are starving in your area? God has us where we are for a reason, don’t be so quick to run away to “do the Lord’s work” when there is work to be done right where you are.

All this to say, occupy your street. You know what that is, you know what God has called you to do. Do it. That’s all.

Reflection/Prayer Time

Take the time to reflect on what we talked about today. Respond in whatever way you feel led, and let that lead you into your prayer.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 258!