martyrdom.
oh, that revered state of laying down one's life for something greater...for Him.
imagine this, if you will.
you stand in an arena. all alone. surrounded by thousands of eyes, voices, noises, sensations [fear is prevalent].
suddenly, the ground shakes. lions and other wild beasts appear to be rising from the earth. they are the closest thing to you, now...besides your own skin.
soon, you will not be your own, but rather a part of these wild beasts, of the crowd's imagination and memory, of the dirt you once came from.
we read these stories,
if we're lucky.
perhaps some of us desire to die in such a way, hoping that our deaths will bring glory to the One we love, hoping that by our death someone else's life will become focused on Him.
but now I ask you to imagine this.
you stand in the present day. in an "arena."
business arena? entertainment arena? secular arena?
you fill in the blank...
thousands of eyes are watching you, and your Enemy prowls like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
are you too willing to be martyred?
let me rephrase that.
are you too willing to be a LIVING martyr?
I believe it has before been called a "living sacrifice."
does your everyday living and breathing draw the eyes of thousands (or maybe just one) to Him?
do you live your life in such a way as to bring glory to His name?
or do you merely dream of a glorious death that will be invalidated by the way you now choose to live?
sometimes living for God is harder than dying for Him.
Paul said:
for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. he said:
it is now no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. can you say the same?
are you
[present tense] being conformed into His image?
do you consider your life worth nothing?
or do you still treasure it?
because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
don't be so foolish as to think that one day yours will be a glorious death if you have not yet learned how to live a glorious life.
it is a process.
it is painful.
it is a daily dying, a daily denying, a daily exchanging of your life for His.
do you live it?
will you live it?
consider this your challenge.
it's a crazy adventurous life we live with this One we call King. I challenge you to live it in such a way as to
win.
I want to hear your story someday. on the other side.
don't quit.
don't "ring out."
and don't give in.
if you're down, get back up. you're not out. He is faithful, even when you are faithless. hold on to Him, and
run.
I'll see you on the other side. ;)
Romans 12:1-2, Philippians 1:21, Galatians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 2 Timothy 2:11-13 Written October 8, 2009
