Epic Adventures part 1

Last weekend, Danny, Colette, and Nick and I went to a play, called 'In His Steps'. Danny attends a college bible study group once a week, which I am going to be attending, now that I am graduated. Anyways, they decided to go to this play last week, since one of the people who attends the bible group was in the play, and just because. Nick just came because......he did. lol. We also brought along a girl from our church. It was an amazing evening! The play was.....awesome! It was put together very well, and carried a powerful message. Being a rather big fan of the book 'In His Steps', I was excited to see the play. I was quite glad to find the play very similar to the book. The actors, actresses, and their acting was very good, and the singing, fabulous! I happened to know at least half of the people in the play, too, so it was really cool to see my friends in the play. (They were all amazing, by the way). After the play, we headed over to Big Spoon Yogurt. It was fabulous, just for the record. Yes, it was a very good evening and I laughed....a lot. I also smiled a lot.....and thought a lot.

The message of 'What Would Jesus Do?' struck a chord in my heart. While I've read the book at least four times and generally ask God for guidance in big decisions I make, 'seeing' the book, rather then reading the book somehow made a difference. So many times in life, I ask God to help me in decision making for big things, but I fail to ask 'What would you do in my place, Lord?" in little things such as going to watch a movie, or answering my siblings when I am being irritable. Now, I know I am not the only one who does this, because I see Christians all the time who go see a certain movie, or wear a certain outfit without a thought to the fact that Jesus would not do so. I'm not really judging anyone....just stating what I see and have seen. I am just as guilty as anyone else in this matter. But, in the words of Rachel, a character in the 'In His Steps' book and play,

"I want to do something that will cost me something in the way of sacrifice.........I am hungry to suffer for something......How much have we denied ourselves or give of our personal ease and pleasure to bless the place in which we live or imitate the life of the Savior of the world? Are we always to go on doing as society selfishly dictates, moving on its narrow round of pleasures and entertainments, and never know the pain of things that cost?"

What have we given up, to follow Christ? Honestly? What have we sacrificed? Do we not still go see what ever movie we want? Do we not still wear an outfit that may be a bit....on the edge, because we look 'good' in it? What have we sacrificed and given up? I know that my answer is, 'Very little'. But.....I have accepted the challenge that Pastor Maxwell, in 'In His Steps' made and asked his church to make:

"I want volunteers........who will pledge themselves, earnestly and honestly for an entire year, not to do anything without first asking the question, 'What would Jesus do?' and after asking the question each one will follow Jesus as exactly as he knows how, no matter what the result may be.........Our aim will be to act just as He would if He were in our places, regardless of immediate results. In other words, we propose to follow Jesus' steps as closely and as literally as we believe He taught His disciples to do."

Oh, I have always been conservative in my decisions. I have always striven to be 'good'. I dress modestly, I don't swear, I don't keep secrets from my parents, and I strive to live by 'The Ten Commandments'. But.....when you accept that challenge, and are sincere.....you start to examine things more thoroughly. And I have done that. That challenge has already changed some of my plans. I was planning on going to see the movie "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" with a friend this summer. I looked up the movie review on PluggedIn to see how good or bad it was. It is a very bloody movie. There are a few sexual innuendos in it. They worship gods in at. It was free of swearing, though had a few crude references in it. Hollywood had done it's job though.....the trailers for the movie had captivated my attention. No one else my age who were Christians seemed to find it bad. It looked and still looks interesting. The trailers had my rapt attention. I wanted to see it. But....that was before I saw the play. That was before I made that promise and accepted that challenge. Now.....well now I will not be seeing that movie. I can not see God watching that movie. I can not see my Jesus going to see a movie with sexual innuendos in it, and throats getting slit right and left. And I most definitely can not see my Lord viewing a movie with people worshiping 'gods' when He is the one and only true God! The challenge has made me more concerned about what movies I watch. I know that Jesus Christ would not watch movies where His name is being taken in vain. Any Christian knows that, though some may not admit it. Can you picture Jesus sitting there watching a movie where people are cursing God's name? No.......I'll answer for you....no, you can't, if you really were honest with yourself. Refraining from watching a impure movie is a very small sacrifice. Throwing out immodest outfits is not giving up much. Paul and the early Christians were persecuted, tortured, and killed for being Christians. They sacrificed their lives. They gave all. The least we spoiled, American Christians of today can do is try to live our lives in all purity, asking ourselves 'What would Jesus do?', and then.....living accordingly.