Challenge

      What are we willing to sacrifice for God?  As an experiment last week, our teen group was challenged to stay off all forms of social media. So from Monday to Sunday they said they would not get on Face book, Twitter, Snap Chat, Instagram, or any of the numerous forms out there now.  They knew that this challenge was completely between them and God because I accepted it as well.  I had no way of checking in on them other than asking them Wednesday night to see how it was working for them.  But this challenge did get me to thinking about all the people have sacrificed so much more for God.

     The challenge came from the story of Samson when he sacrificed his life for God.  Samson had disobeyed God by telling where all his strength came from and was sent to prison by the Philistines.  When Samson was finally given the chance to make the ultimate sacrifice for God then he took his own life along with as many of the Philistines as he could. 

My question to the youth group was simple, if Samson could sacrifice his life for Christ, then can we sacrifice one week without social media to focus on Christ?

     I would like to challenge everyone that reads this, to think about one of the things that take up most of your spare time during the day/week and sacrifice it just for a short time and focus on Christ.  You will find that you waste a lot more time than you realize and you have become dependent on your activity.   For me personally, the first two days of this challenge were difficult because I didn’t know what to do with down time.  As the week went, I started praying more and thinking about what God has done and what He will do in my life.  He has given me a better understanding of what He is calling me to do in this world.  This challenge allowed me to see one of my teens take a stand for God in the classroom at school.  There is no telling what God will do through you if you allow Him to have more time in your day.  So I offer it up again.  Can you give up the one thing that takes most of your free time for one week and focus on Christ?  You will see a noticeable change in your relationship with Christ and how much time is wasted on things that have no real meaning in this world.  When we focus on this world, then we give up the promise of everlasting life.  Please don’t allow any type of social media draw your focus away from a personal relationship with Jesus.