Recognizing Our Challenge

Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the
most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16

I’ve been thinking about this verse quite a bit lately, especially how it applies to my life and the lives of my peers. In my mind, it breaks down into four main ideas:

1. We should to be careful how we live.
It seems like such an obvious idea, but if you’re like me and you attend a large, secular university, you know it can be hard. The best way to insure that you are living the way you should be is to surround yourself with the right people. As Pastor Chris Hodges says, “show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” You should want to do life with those who will build you up and encourage you to be the best that you can be. You’re more likely to succeed if you have a support system of people who also want to succeed.

2. We should to be aware of how others perceive how we live.
Something I’ve noticed as I’ve been working with a lot of college students who are new Christians is that social media can easily fudge the line between perception and reality. A Christian girl in a sorority may be completely sober at a party, but if she posts a snapchat video of the party, people are likely to think that she participated. It’s SO important to be careful about what you put on social media because people are watching you. The world as a whole is looking for you to fail in your walk with Christ, don’t give them a reason to think you have.

3. We should make the most of every opportunity.
I don’t know about you, but when I move onto the next phase of life, I want to leave a legacy in my wake. More importantly, I want to leave knowing that I’ve impacted the Kingdom of God for the better. What I’ve realized in my time at the University of Alabama so far is that we have to take advantage of every opportunity we are given. This doesn’t mean say “yes” to everything, but you also shouldn’t say “no” to everything in order to stay within the confines of your comfort zone. Everyday brings new opportunities to do something worthwhile.

4. We should create opportunities for ourselves.
I know this is a lot like the previous point, but I think it’s important that it’s emphasized. Don’t just let the opportunities come to you, seek them out. Notice a problem and solve it. Do your roommate’s dishes, encourage a stranger. Small things can impact the kingdom in a big way. Make a difference in someone’s life.

This verse is the theme for my last two years in college. My challenge to you is to make it a theme in your current season of life as well. Can you imagine the impact that would have on not only you but those around you?

You Can’t Blame it on a Personality Type

This Summer, a friend of mine told me about the Myers-Briggs personality test, and I took it for the first time. My results were not suprising: E (extroverted over introverted), N (iNtuitive over sensing), F (feeling over thinking), J (judging over perceiving). The results fascinated me, so I continued to research descriptions and profiles for the ENFJ personality.
The traits that stood out to me the most were about friendships. Several profiles described ENFJs as valuable, yet smothering individuals. Basically, they care a lot about others and want to help them become the best that they can be. However, according to the personality profile, ENFJs also desire constant feedback. These things combined can create a lot of problems.
Anyway, after deciding that the ENFJ personality was “so me,” I began to make excuses for myself. I accepted the negative traits along with the positive ones, telling myself, “that’s just the way I am.” But wow, what a mistake.
Can you imagine if we adopted that mindset with God? Hey God, I know I’m not supposed to do this, but I’m a sinner. That’s just who I am. That example sounds a little extreme, but it’s not really. We do that sometimes with God. We make excuses for ourselves and our actions.
Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we could be free, made new, redeemed, born again. We should strive everyday to be the best that we can be. Everything I say and do is a choice. I pledge from this day forward to be as Christ-like as possible. I am not a personality type. I can no longer make excuses.