Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life."- John 6:63 
 
One of my favorite movies of all-time is Shawshank Redemption. One of my favorite lines in that movie is when Andy is talking to Red about where he would go and what he would do if he got out of prison. Red's response was that Andy needed to stop dreaming because he was where he was (in prison) and that was never going to change. Andy's response was as profound as anything I've ever heard, "I guess it comes down to one thing. Get busy living or get busy dying."
 
That same statement can be used to describe a lot of today's Christians and a lot of today's churches. The church is filled with - and many Christians are surrounded by - people that want to look at things and say "we are where we are and that's never going to change" or "we've always done it like this." They are getting busy dying!
 
These same people are the people that know all the right versus, have memorized all the right scriptures and understand all the right church doctrines. Don't get me wrong, these are important things.  But as James 2:14-26 tells us, faith without works is dead.
 
In the book of Genesis as it describes the of life Noah, there are two verses that stick out and paint a picture of what this (faith and works) looks like  - 6:26 and 7:5 - paraphrased both say "Noah did everything God commanded him." Noah was getting busy living! AT 600 YEARS OLD NO
LESS!!
 
Many times God calls us to get out of our comfort zone. To reach out to that homeless man that's sitting outside of the convenience store you stop at every morning for coffee; to witness to that person that hasn't bathed in a couple weeks; to buy the lunch for the mother of four at the table across the restaurant that has the noisy uncontrollable children; to walk across the street and invite to church this Sunday our neighbor to whom we rarely speak...and probably doesn't even know we are a Christian.
 
What are you doing today - or this week - to get busy living for God? If you are filled with His Spirit, then you should be filled with life. If you are filled with life, what are you doing to share that and breathe life into those around you? 
 
God's word describes us as His "children" and the "body" of Christ; the church is also described as the "bride" of Christ. I don't know about you but I do not want my children, my body - or my bride - to get busy dying! And our Father is no different. 
 
Spend some time today talking to God and ask him for opportunities to "get busy living." Ask Him to bring people into your life today and this week that you can demonstrate His love; ask Him to create opportunities to stretch your faith and then the discernment, wisdom and faith to act
upon those opportunities.
 
I won't spoil the movie for those that have never seen it, but Andy chose to get busy living. What will you choose today?

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