Thursday, April 1, 2010

Are You My Friend?


By: Lisa Petrarca

Imagine you had someone you thought was your friend and often listened to their advice. As the years went by, a pattern began to develop. Your life started falling apart. The friend was leading you down a destructive path.

You started making bad choices (drinking heavily, stealing, taking drugs, lying, cheating, pornography...fill in your issues). You started feeling depressed, unhappy and/or anxious. The things that were supposed to be so much fun and seemed cool in the beginning, now make you feel terrible. The more you went along with the friend the worse life became. You began to spiral out of control.

Once you finally realized the source, do you think you would continue to listen to anything the friend told you?

Would you eventually start to distance yourself from the friend?

..............................................................................................................................................................

This is exactly how the enemy works. He makes us think that something is fun, it doesn't matter if we don't feel right about it, it's no big deal.

He whispers over and over again, "Come this way. Just take that drug or take another drink, look at that pornography, it's only a small lie, if you take it they wont even miss it, it's no big deal."

Little by little you have allowed the enemy to guide you down a self destructive path. One small, wrong choice at a time, until you no longer recognize who you are.

This is why you need to distance yourself from him. Your prayer life and daily scripture reading will force the enemy away, he will flee, he is not your friend, do not allow him into your life.

Jesus has given you the ultimate gift. He has sacrificed his life and was risen on the third day, so that you will be forgiven, saved and have eternal life with Him.

This Easter, take time to reflect on His love for you. Stop and take a few minutes to look at not only your life, but your choices. Are there some areas that you need to make some adjustments?

Don't waste the gift that Jesus has given you. He is your TRUE FRIEND...He gave His life for you. Take this opportunity to start over...Jesus Christ has made it possible. HE IS RISEN!

Take His offering!

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. for if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for youare not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:4-8, 12, 14

Happy Easter.

5 comments:

  1. This is a great Easter message! Happy Easter to you!

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  2. The enemy prowls around like a lion. Easter blessings to you!! He is risen :)

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  3. this is beautiful.
    thank you for this!
    i look forward to my service in church tmrw...


    xx[n/]
    naways.blogspot.com

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  4. Happy Easter!

    xo
    bravegrrl.blogspot.com

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  5. I could not have read this at a better time in my life. A year ago, I began making friends in a new church. I was involved in the choir, the children's ministries & just about any special event that came up. Then I started falling into peer pressure when hanging out with my sister, and now a year later I wouldn't be surprised if I could be diagnosed as an alcoholic!! Not that I drink every day, but we drink and 'party it up' like there's no tomorrow when we're together. The thing is, I'm not having fun. I feel guilty almost every day. I love God! I love Jesus! I pray constantly.. but I feel like I've fallen into this rut that I dont know how to get out of. There have been times where I started to get my spiritual life back, but then my family has this 'Oh, she's back on her Holier-than-thow' kick. I know... let me repeat, KNOW, that I should be absolutely ashamed to hide my faith in Christ... the guilt of it is overwhelming at times. But I dont feel like they take me seriously as a Christian, and it's just 'easier' to not make 'them' feel ackward.
    Wow.. I'm being convicted just hearing the words come from my head. Apparently it's time to make some changes. thank you for letting me express these feelings.

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