Why Not Me?

When it comes to people moving to places to spread the gospel, whether that be a city in America with few churches and professing Christians or whether that is a country where Christians are beheaded by radical Muslims, the question I think worth asking is: why not me?

When I read the New Testament and look at the lives of early believers, I can't help but be deeply moved by their courageous boldness to be on the move for Jesus. I cannot help but notice their willingness to face ridicule, scorn, and even death for Christ. 

Why not me?

Where is my willingness to even lose a Facebook friend or Twitter follower? Am I so worried about being misunderstood or labeled something that I keep my mouth shut about things happening in our society that grieve the heart of God? Would I pick my family up and move to a city where I knew no one, all with the intent of helping more people get introduced to Jesus? 

Why not me?

Is Jesus not worth every bit and more of what I just wrote? Do I believe that to live is Christ and to die really is gain? Are these just words in my Bible that sound great as Twitter posts and t-shirt fodder, but in reality is not how I live?

Why not me?

One life. Just one. Am I wasting it on comfort, popularity, safety, familiarity, and long-life?

It is not the super-Christians (no such person) who do crazy things like this. It should be every Christian willing. If we are unwilling to even ask the question, perhaps we are living in self-deception. 

Why not me? 

Why not you?
 

The Price of Integrity

How much does integrity cost? Well, that depends. It depends on what your willing to do to maintain it or what you are willing to do to lose it. Integrity takes time to build. In order to create a legacy in your life of integrity, you need to demonstrate over time, with big things and small things, that you are willing to do what is right, what is true, what is moral, despite the cost. As long as it takes to build integrity, the sad thing is, it can be lost in an instant. Integrity is only as good as your latest choice.

Let me give you an example of how easy it is to slip in your integrity:

Let's pretend for a moment that a friend was able to get tickets to a game that you really wanted to watch. However, the tickets were not bought or gained honestly, instead, they were bought from a scalper in a place where scalping is illegal. Now, you didn't buy the tickets, but you are using them as a result of an illegal purchase. Are you wrong for doing this or is it only the fault of the person who bought them illegally? The answer: YES, you are at fault. YES, you are sinning. YES, you have comprised your integrity. In this scenario, you sold your integrity for $40 or so, simply because you didn't want to purchase the tickets for full price.

I know for many this sounds extreme, but here's the deal: as followers of Jesus we are called to above reproach, to set the examples in speech and action, to be light in a world of darkness. We are called not to just have a "belief" in God, but to honor Him with all choices. What is the price of integrity? It is a high price to pay if you want it, but it can be lost for the price of nothing.