Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Marketplace Christianity

After a rushed morning of waking very sleepy kids (ball season has arrived!), finding matching clothes and getting teeth brushed, hair brushed and preparing breakfast, I drove my kids to school. We always pray in the car for their day and their decisions.

My prayer over them always involves several things:
  • I plead the blood of Jesus over the bodies, souls, and spirits;
  • I pray that the Word of God planted in their hearts would fall on good ground and return where God has purposed He send it 100 fold;
  • I ask that all they say, think and do would glorify God;
  • Lastly I request the Savior to guide every decision they make and to give them His divine favor with students, teachers, and administration.
Today my son is more devastatingly handsome than ever. In his career orientation class he has a mock business interview. He had to wear dress clothes - button down shirt, khakis, belt, dress shoes and tie- clothing choices that are extremely unnatural for him:). Complementing his good looks this morning, I thought about his "career" day and the endless possibilities of his future. My thoughts turned to our daily prayer for their lives.

What I want for my children and their future is that they daily live a victorious Christian life. I want them to take Jesus into every single day. I want them to take Jesus into every aspect of their education and their careers. I want them to have a Marketplace Christianity.

Marketplace Christianity.
What does it mean? How does it affect us?
Marketplace Christianity is simply discipleship to the fullest.

Too many people reserve their "best" Christ-likeness for the sanctuary dress-up days. In some ways their spirituality is like my son's career day. Christianity is a "mock" preliminary for a pretend faith that only exists in the shadow of the steeple (as a popular song suggests).

Marketplace Christianity.
Live like Jesus every second of every day in every situation. Take Jesus to Wal-mart. Take Jesus to work with you. Take Jesus home with you.
Allow him to speak THROUGH you.

Marketplace Christianity.
Marketplace Christianity is not just taking Jesus with you. It is sharing Jesus with those around you ~ at Wal-mart; at work; and at home.
If we truly lived as Christ, our world would be different.

Marketplace Christianity.
Marketplace Christianity is not a program. It is not something we do when we feel like it.
Marketplace Christianity is a lifestyle.
Marketplace Christianity is a reformation of the soul.
Marketplace Christianity is biblical.
Marketplace Christianity should be you.
Marketplace Christianity should be me.

Marketplace Christianity.

I pray you are challenged to live Jesus as never before.

love you all!
dorinda

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dorinda
Thats good stuff. I've been telling my kids everywhere you go people are watching you and they know who you are. Our attitudes and actions in public can affect so many people and those same attitudes and actions will make or break your day.
Love ya'll
Mark & Brook

Treasure Seeker said...

Hey!!!
I can't believe we missed you guys Saturday!
We love you guys! Miss you= come see us when we are home! :)

love ya'll back!
dorinda

Mary Beth said...

The associate pastor at our church spoke on THIS VERY THING tonight! SO much of what you just wrote, he said.

Must be a message we are needing to hear.

Love you... and Though age is mocking you... I think you look MAHVELOUS DAHLING!

Bill Dotson said...

I totally agree with what you said about "pleading the blood" over your kids. I do that every day over my kids and all my family. I got a revelation about that phrase a couple of years ago and wrote about it in my blog. You may be interested in what God showed me about the phrase, "plead the blood". check it out at:
http://roadrevelations.org/?p=50 - Plead The Blood .

Be blessed!
Bill

Anonymous said...

As Andy is nearing his big "3" birthday I am constantly amazed at how much he notices the prayers and devotions that I do. He now "has to have his Bible to read in bed like mommy" and likes "praying for my kids"...I think it is amazing how a child can learn so much from us about Christianity...right now his big thing is "going to Jesus's house (he is trying to sort out that Jesus is everywhere and not just a place that we "go" to physically like his friends house) when he exclaimed the other day "Jesus scares the monsters away and lives in my heart" I was overcome with joy...it would be wonderful if we all could put HIS love into perspective like this b.c Jesus has scared "the monsters away" more times than I can count in my life...

Crystal