Dedicated

The essence of being a Christian is, in my opinion, a thorough dedication to God.

As Jesus said in (John 8:29) “The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him."

In Mark 2:18-22 Jesus reminds us that if we pour new wine into old wineskins, the skins burst and we lose everything. Think of the new spiritual growth that we’ve experienced lately, Are we trying to pour our new life into our old ways of doing things? Are we trying to serve God, whether it is here in Emmaus, or any other ministry? Yet when we’re out there, we continue to do shady things. Whether it’s at home neglecting our wives and/or our kids; in our business, doing things that we know are not right or keep taking that hit we know will just be a quick fix, so we think… Do we honestly believe that this is the way to grow spiritually? We must not get distracted when we see ourselves doing good things, and others seeing it too, and then getting complacent, and stop listening to what God is trying to tell us.

I don’t think it’s pleasing to God when we intentionally sin. We must not feel that by doing a couple of good things that makes it okay for us to get off the right path. We sometimes get caught up in the world, and attempt to justify it by saying, well I just served at a retreat, let me take this hit, or let me sleep with this girl, or whatever your preferred sin is.

I feel that it’s not always a question of what God can do for me, but what more can I do for Him. How much of us don’t dedicate more of ourselves, because we don’t have the time? I know I sometimes say I don’t have the time or the energy to do this or that, but the time we have, we have because God gives it to us. We are to give God the first fruits, as it says in the bible. We must stay disciplined in all aspects of our lives:

· There’s daily mass

· daily devotions

· reading the bible

· staying connected with spiritual people

· Stewardship...

If you need help to stay focused, dedicated, do what it takes to stay in line and follow that path that a lot of us were put on thanks to Emmaus.

· If Drugs are your problem, and you can’t quit, GET HELP!

· Abuse (Verbal and/or Physical), GET HELP

· Marital/Family Issues GET HELP

· Pornography, GET HELP

You get the point. Whatever it is we must stand up and not let PRIDE get in the way.

We have no excuse when the Day of Judgment comes, we know right from wrong,

As it says in…Matthew 7:21-24 “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS. Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

I want to do what God wants for me, not the other way around, like me doing whatever I want and hope it’s in line with what God’s will is.

That’s why I’m dedicated to do God’s will.