As a teenager, i once went on a Mexico Mission Trip. There i saw the life of a 2nd world country. Not just extreme heat, proverty, and hunger, but the extreme of desperation to live each day. I was there a week, and i thought i was going to die the day before we left. Then some1 asked, could we all leave our wonderful Seattle homes, and come down to worst than this to follow God???
2006-06-27 15:10:29 · 31 answers · asked by Ichiro 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hey - I did it and have been here in Mexico for 20 years now.. I didn't throw away my life, I found it. I didn't leave Seattle, but Tacoma. Lincoln high school, Tacoma..
When you follow God it is the greatest adventure of your life.
2006-06-27 15:20:34 · answer #1 · answered by † PRAY † 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Every Christian should serve in the way which they feel they are called.
the rest of this is for Chaz's reply.
1st allow me to start with the non-thinking part. If you were thinking you would have
1) considered the possibility that many of us were once obnoxious people like you who thought we knew it all. After LEARNING we changed our mind.
2)Read the book that you seem to hate so much.
3) sought the meaning from someone who knows a little about it. You obviously are not getting both sides of the story. Getting information about Christianity from nonchristians is like taking swimming lessons from a rock.
Now the "gods don't die" / jesus could not be god because he died arguement makes no sense. What exactly do you base your statement on? What other god are you using for a reference? It must be hard to have studied this since there have been no other gods. A big signifacant part of the meaning here is that he conquered death. Not by just living forever which I cannot do. Rather he conquered it by willingly and knowingly allowing himself to be beaten, spat on, whipped, and crucified. He died a physical death as we will. He rose from the dead and showed us that death has no power over him. "Where o death is your sting?"
as for the no more sin- his taking our sin away does not mean that there is no more sin in the world. It means our sin can be forgiven. We cannot demand that it be forgiven. Nor can you say "jesus died so everybodies sins are forgiven" . He paid a heavy price. Would you be so callous toward a soldier or fireman or policeman etc who died to save you? His grace does not give you carte blanc to go on sinning without remorse.
Maybe you should be honest with yourself and THINK about it.
I did and it changed my life.
2006-06-27 15:46:42 · answer #2 · answered by unicorn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If we have to..., It is far better to die in poverty with God having a better more eternal promise than to live in this world in comfort, die and spend an eternity in utter misery.
Our lives here below are only a passing shadow, a flower that withers away in the heat of the day. Beyond this temporary world is an eternity and its eternity that matters most.
The eternal things of God are the realities, but here we see dimly a better hope beyond us.
Throwing God away or clinging to Him is a choice we all have to make. Its a matter of what's most important to a human being. Temporary comfort or an eternity of misery. In some cases, people live in misery on this earth anyway - but still, we have a promise God leaves us with. While man is notorious for not keeping his word, God is faithful.
2006-06-27 15:38:33 · answer #3 · answered by Victor ious 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To leave your life and to follow God, mdf, God is life. And without God there would be no life. God is the one who give you all those wonderful blessings. God can control all things, you can give you everything or give you nothing. However instead he give us the greatest gift of all, freedom. To live in life. Tho life is never ever fair at all, but God is there to help us through it. A life in sin, greed, lust, riches is nice on earth but you can't take your "wonderful Seattle homes" to heaven or hell. Your riches and all you hold dear with faint away one day. If you follow riches, you'll go down under. If you follow God, you'll be in paradise. NO, you don't throw your life away to follow God, instead you are trading out for a BETTER MORE RICHER life one day in Heaven, and for someone who is always here for you in earth regardless of how tragic life might be.
2006-06-27 15:27:45 · answer #4 · answered by skylooker0 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't consider following God "throwing your life away." I think that as a follower of God you have the love and desired to help other people. Most believers find great reward in following God in this manner and find it most rewarding. Letting God lead you in the plans that He has for your life can be an amazing experience that draws you closer to Him.
If you think you are 'throwing your life away' doing something for God, then you are really not doing it for Him.
2006-06-27 15:37:01 · answer #5 · answered by rockmyworld 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The question is why would you have to leave your home and go to a foreign country to follow God. If you have truly believe the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins then He has already give you a ministry and you hold a office of the most high God. He gave you the ministry of reconciliation and made you a ambassador of your heavenly home. 2 Corinthians 5: 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 2 Corinthians 5: 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5: 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. There are a lot of lost people where you live.
2006-06-27 15:22:49 · answer #6 · answered by Ray W 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why can't you follow God in Seattle?
But, in all seriousness, if I felt that God was calling me to work in a third world country, I would defintaly do it. Besides, you may be giving up a lifetime of wealth, but your gaining an eternity of perfect.
Good Question!
2006-06-27 15:18:10 · answer #7 · answered by Katie Victoria 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ichiro, honey, you'd be better off not asking stuff like that on Yahoo answers, you'll get a lot of responses like that first one.
Actually a lot of people have basically done what you're referring to, it's called a vow of poverty. Mother Theresa lived that way, and so did Rich Mullins. you'd be surprised how many missionaries choose to do that.
and you do have a point there. how many Americans complain about how "hard" their lives are, when we have it the best of anywhere else in the world.
2006-06-27 15:16:58 · answer #8 · answered by cirque de lune 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would do that and so much more in a heartbeat! Jesus did it for me.
John 15:13
"Greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends."
John 12:24-27
(Jesus said) " I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."
2006-06-27 15:13:42 · answer #9 · answered by Consuming Fire 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People contribute to the world and society in different ways. Bill Gates lives in extreme luxury but also helps those less fortunate and devotes many of his resources to his organization. I would tell people to lead their lives in the way that would best lead them to service above self, not necessarily putting bodily comfort out the window.
2006-06-27 15:15:35 · answer #10 · answered by Sunnydays 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋