To become a Christian does not mean that life will be easy. Sure, to be a non-Christian doesn’t mean that your life is made in the shade either. This world is broken and no matter our belief, we will all deal with disappointments. But, this post is geared towards Christians and there are times we will have to deal with having to choose right living, which can lead to hatred, misunderstanding, division, maybe physical and mental abuse, and mistreatment. And it can make for an often up and down journey in life.

There will be times that we will have to choose between righteous and unrighteous choices because we are held to Christian moral standards:

• We will be called to forgive those that hurt us and turn the other cheek, which is not easy;
• We will be called to step into some of the world’s most perilous situations where our hearts will break for others in order to shine His light;
• We will be called to not compromise on principle, but in the end we may lose partnerships or key associations;
• We will be called to handle temptation rightly and may have to tell our partners “no” to sex before marriage, and we may lose that partner;
• We will be called to not cook the accounting books or take supplies extra from the supply closet in the office home, which means we will have less money in our pockets because we will have to pay for it ourselves;
• We will be called to not have extramarital affairs, which means we’re stuck with one sex partner till death (but that’s not a bad thing);
• We will be called to exercise patience;
• We will be called to be honest, which means we might lose friends or status;
• We will be called to stand up for the defenseless when it may not be popular;
• We will be called to live holy lives, which means giving up all kinds of lusts and sinful desires.

And while being a Christian comes with a lifestyle change of letting some things we may have done in the past go, and abiding in some of the things I listed above, it is one that is the most fulfilling and freeing lifestyle changes in life that we will ever make. And in making certain decisions- to go without, losing a friendship, or becoming unpopular- we will feel the world's hatred and criticism. Christ too felt the same criticism and hate from the world. But, in having to make a choice where the world might hate us, we know that we can sleep at night with a clear conscience that we have made righteous choices, we know that God is with us, and we can also stand before Him one day, knowing that we didn't compromise.

The Bible tells us that as soon as the Word is sown, that the devil comes immediately to uproot it (Luke 8:12). When one accepts Christ, believes, and commits his or her life to Him, Satan is on a mission to stop that person from living for the kingdom. So, don’t think it’s strange in life when troubles come and it seems as if all hell is breaking upon you. As awful, evil, wicked and disgusting as Satan is, he doesn’t take a coffee break, and we must be alert to his workings in our lives so that we can react in love and try not fall into his trap.

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15: 18-19)

By being alert to Satan’s crafty tricks, it means knowing and understanding when he is messing with you. He knows us better than we think and he knows our weaknesses better than we think, and he will play on them. In terms of relationships seek to live peaceably, forgive, love, and move on. By picking your battles and moving on you DON’T allow Satan to do one of the things that he does best, which is divide people. In terms of choices, be alert to your weaknesses and choose to not compromise in life. Set your mind to choose the righteous path for living, even it it's not easy. YES, we are all sinners and caught in His grace. But there is no excuse for our good and bad choices- right living is right living and bad living is bad living.

Some helpful verses:

“Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved(Luke 8:12.”

"Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7)."

Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith (1 Peter 5:8).

Happy Friday xx!