I Dare Ya (Post 3): Just Do It

Hey guys! Sorry there was no Music Monday, but I've had a crazy weekend and was unable to have time to post one...so we will definitely have one next week! However, this week is the third post of the "I Dare Ya" series. This week we will be talking about how you can be the change in the communities you are apart of. Rather that is your group of close friends, your church, your neighborhood, your school, your family, your team, or whatever communities you are apart of. So, lets get going.
----------
This whole post is about changing your communities. So, how exactly do we do that? I think what it boils down to is just a few things. Those are: Respect, Being an Example, and Actions. Ofcourse, Faith is the biggest factor in all of this, and if you want to hear about that part of things then please check out my last post. So, why are these the most important? Let's get to that!
----------
RESPECT
Respect is a big part of making a change. Christians often get a bad rap for seeming disrespectful to people, and there are many that are truly disrespectful. For instance, there's a group that comes on my college campus almost weekly that causes a major stir. They wear shirts that say "Porn" as in they are against porn. Well, that's good...but they also have a sign that lists off pretty much everything that is not Christian. He then stands there and yells that everyone is going to hell, and that you need to be like him and stop sinning. This has caused alot of outrage on campus, and has led to many people turning their back on Christianity. Also, if you saw my post called "The IQ Test" then you know that many groups do this and that it is a common occurance. This is a major problem. The most vocal and noticeable Christians are the ones that people hate, and that benefit the community the least. If we treated everybody with respect, and also made postive changes around our community...then the positive side of Christianity would be more visible for once. In Proverbs 10:12 it says, "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." We need to treat everybody as if they were created in God's image, which they were. That means men, women, black, white, hispanic, gay, straight, junkie, alcoholic, and anything you can think of. We don't have to agree with what they do but we have to show them that we love them just the same. As many have said, love the sinner and not the sin. Or as it says in Leviticus 19:18, "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord."
----------
BE AN EXAMPLE
Being an example is something that is extremely important in all aspects of life. Whether it's too younger siblings, classmates, and even adults. First I want to say that this doesn't mean you have to be perfect. That's impossible, however, you can show people how to be the change. You can show people how to help everybody around them, and you can show everybody how Christ has changed your life. As I said before we were made in God's image, and are asked to live in a Christ-like way. It's all about showing people where your love comes from, and it has to do with letting that love overflow into other people's lives. Living a life of excess, if you will. You can do this in many ways. You can tell people about how Christ changed your life, you can demonstrate Christ's love to others, along with many other things. Which brings me to...
----------
ACTIONS
To me, faith and actions go hand in hand. They are one in the same. If you have faith in Jesus Christ, and trust him completely, he will do actions through you. There are all kinds of things you can do. Talking to a friend that needs help, giving a homeless person food, volunteering at your church, helping somebody move, working with inner city children. There's all kinds of things you can do, but YOU have to do it. You may feel like you don't have time, or that you don't feel comfortable. However, God isn't always going to work in our comfort zone. Who knows, you may find something that you love.
----------
So remember, inorder to make a change in your community it's all about these 3 things. Respect, being an example, and doing actions. If we are going to be the change that we want to see, then we have to strengthen our faith, and do the 3 things that we talked about here. Just give it a try! I dare ya!
----------
Thanks for reading! I really appreciate you all checking this out. If this is your first time reading, then I hope you will take some time and check out the archives. Also, new series starting next week called Love Never Fails! It's going to be a good one!

Check out http://www.lifelovemusic.com/ to get an "I Am A Threat To Your Apathy" t-shirt!

Big thanks to Angels & Airwaves, Paramore, Drake, and Taylor Swift for keeping me too busy this week to get anything done! Also, big thanks to How I Met Your Mother for being the best show on TV...just sayin'. Have a great weekend! See you for Music Monday!