We Like to Partyyyyyy

"I may be young but i'm READYY.." ..If you finished these lyrics then you are familiar with the song "We Like to Party" by Baddie Bey. lol Oh to be young and carefree. This was the song that played at the start of many fun college nights. No, you won't find pictures of me and my girlfriends embarrassing our parents  in the streets (haha). I don't mean that kind of fun. I do mean fun nights that reminded me of the great freedom we have in our youth. We can hang out all night with no serious responsibilities, eat all the junk we want with little effect to our shapes, play silly games like hide and seek at 3am, or skip class to go the mall with the worst consequence being exhausted because you do all of these things at the expense of missing sleep.

Although youth is fun and exciting, there is something God wants us to know. Being young is not an excuse to forget out creator and it is not an excuse to live life how we want. God  doesn't ask Christian youth to live boring and stale, but he does ask us to acknowledge him and his greater purpose. Not only is it pleasing to him, but it creates for us a better life. When we let go of things or behaviors that we THINK we have to hold onto, he shows us why it is better to let those things go and protects us from our own demise.

Jesus said a quite radical statement in the New Testament. It was; "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Matthew 16:26). He was asking those who were listening to him to think about the purpose of their life here on earth.  If you are a spiritual being having an earthly experience, then this means our time here is temporary. He was asking spirits stuck in human bodies (until their release at death), why do you look at life so importantly when it is simply a preview of the unending life to come? He says, " Life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone" (James 4:14).

Through his speech he was attempting to enlighten the audience. He needed them to grasp on to the concept. Placing temporary things, experiences, and people above God was useless. Let me explain... God's purpose in creating humans was to have created beings, reproductions of his likeness, that he could give his love to. Like loving parents who create a child, they desire to create a legacy. They want a "mini-me" they can spoil and overwhelm with never ending , everlasting love. God created us to love but he didn't want to force his love upon us, so he lovingly created choice. 

The best choice we can make is choosing to accept the ultimate symbol of his love. That ultimate symbol is Christ. When we choose the world and all it offers above God, we devalue our purpose. We began to live life in a meaningless way. We perpetuate our own demise and are incapable of truly inspiring those around us. Those who refuse love can not share love. They fill them self with "feel goods"; money, sex, drugs, materialism, and fame. These all may be fun, but if they CONSUME YOU they are unsatisfying, temporary, selfish, and un-fulfilling. They lead to death on earth (spiritual, mental, and physical), and then to an everlasting death in hell if you don’t accept Christ to cover them.  He doesn't ask us to let go of these things to make us boring, but to help us live a life that is amazingly satisfied in him on earth and that prepares us for life in heaven with him as well. 

We can have fun and enjoy life, yes. He doesn’t ask us to live our years on earth bored, sick, and sad. He wants us to acknowledge him and realize he is the most important thing in life.  HE IS LIFE. That’s why in Romans 12, he ask us to renew our mind so that we can let go of societies wrong views on a successful life and grasp hold of his. Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, “Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, 'Life is not pleasant anymore.' Your real life is hidden in Christ, in God." (Colossians 3)

I remember being at a party celebrating the advancement of a friend with his company. I was excited and dancing but this thought came to my mind. Amidst all of the fun, how many people in here are truly miserable? How many people are attempting to drown their crappy life in drinks? How many are hoping this night won’t end so they can keep their mind off of their worries.  My fun was stifled with my care for lost souls and my desire to tell them about the true meaning of life. My desire to share that true joy is in knowing your life is in Christ's hands. I want to share that no drug, person, or drink can give you peace. I have constant peace in every situation thanks to Christ and a sure spot in heaven eternally thanks to his blood that covers my sins of the past, present, and future.  I don’t purposefully take advantage of his grace but I make my life’s decisions based on these three thoughts. Does this please God? Does this positively affect my testimony and help me remain a godly example? And is this decision worth the after affects?

Use wisdom as you enjoy your youth. GO AGAINST THE GRAIN. You can stand out. You don’t have to follow everyone else. If God is calling you to change your lifestyle, then listen. He knows what is best and it will all be worth it in the end. Yes, there are things you might have to sacrifice, but again it’s worth it. Jesus calls us to be holy. Before you freak out, this doesn’t mean you have to turn into a monk, lol. When he asks for holiness, he asks us to accept his holy son which qualifies us as holy. This means all you have to do is surrender. Focus on him as he cuts and takes away the pieces of us that needs to die and produces fresh fruit in us. This fruit will illuminate our lives and touch those around us.  

So let this post cause you to think ...

What is your purpose? Why are you here? How can you allow God to transform your life?  What are you holding onto that is keeping you from surrendering to God? What are you afraid of?



Here I Gab..AGAIN,

Gabs