Staying Faithful

I consider myself a Christian and try to live responsibility. I want to keep the Ten Commandments and I will admit that there were times recent and past that during this walk I have treaded the line and altogether crossed it.

My cousin is celebrating her birthday and retirement with a party today, which also happens to be Sabbath. I have wrestled all week with the idea of focusing my attention on God and then a bunch of other people, fifty or more. People tried to pressure me to attend.

This morning, I read a blog post from someone else and it helped me to think more clearly about today.

http://www.jonasmaxwell.com/pages/index.cfm?pg=196&pcid=98#id98

If God doesn't get the respect. If total focus is taken completely away from Him. If what I get involved in is more important than what He has for me to do, I shouldn't be involved in it on Sabbath.

I shouldn't be especially because I have no closeness with any of the family or invitees that are going to the event. The love of Jesus is not the focus of the event. For some, it's about my cousin. For many, it's about free food, alcohol, dancing, and gossip.

People having questions about your life, but since they lack genuine concern and don't have Godly motivation, they gossip about what they think they know about you. Sometimes family can be close. Thicker than blood, but as someone else, said soup and yogurt is thicker than water too.  Family at the same time can be univiting and strangers.

The latter is how they are to me.

I don't know where you are in your life's journey today. You could be struggling to win family over, friends, and finding yourself going deaf in all the noise of people around you. I'm not telling you to completely separate yourself...cut yourself off from people who are unlike you in faith. Some of the best people I've known were people who had a different faith from me. 

What I'm telling you to do is think about God first and where you are in your walk with Him. Putting Him first on Monday, the fourth of July, the Sabbath, on any and all days will help you to grow. You will be more confident and not left to the wind to blow you around.

People change, relationships end, and people forget who you are. A cousin came up from Carolina and she changed. I changed too. We used to be as close as Ceely and her sister from the Color Purple. She is headed to the party, but wants to hang out with another cousin who is judgmental of me. She has no interest in me anymore and although it makes me sad, I know someone who never changes.

Hold on to Him.

Happy Sabbath!