Are You Alive?? really...

Stephen, are you crazy? Of course I am alive. I have a pulse, I'm breathing, heck I'm reading the words on the screen right now. Some of you may have stopped reading by now because, thus far, this post seems pointless and you already know the answer to the question that I have posed in the title, but for those of you who are still intrigued, or bored..... Philippians 1:21 "For me, to live is Christ, to die is gain." Are you alive? You see I want to challenge your definition of what life, or 'to live, really means. We think that is we are up, moving and experiencing our day that we are experiencing what life is. However, this is not what living is or means. The Bible says that to live is Christ. To live means to be following Christ in all that we do and serving Him for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom. Some people stay on this earth for 60, 70, maybe even 100 years and never... not once... experience life.
One of the things that I do not understand, if we are defining terms as I have defined them, is why non- believers say they don't want to follow Christ. You may hear, "I want to experience life. If I start following Christ, it's just going to be rule after rule after rule." Maybe you have heard them say that they will have plenty of time for Christ later after they have sowed their wild oats and really experienced life. Since when did life mean going out and doing whatever your flesh is driving you to do? You see I think when people give these responses and have these attitudes towards Christ they are experiencing life but death. Let's say I have a cell phone that is broken, some of you know my luck with cell phones, or one that is simply not charged. Is it really a phone? Well, no it's not. If it can't make calls and serve is function as a phone then it is a plastic case made up of different parts that is in the shape of a phone. If people are not defining life through the lens of Christ then are they alive? No, they are just flesh and blood who are literally death walking. Jesus created you to experience life and life to the fullest. Some of you may have never truly lived, or have lost sight of what it means to truly lived, despite having a pulse for x number of years. Jesus has a plan for your life. You are not some mistake that was pointlessly set loose in this world to aimlessly wonder with no rhyme or reason. Step into the marvelous light and live today. Tell Jesus that you belong to Him and that you are not the definer of life. He is. He has defined life as living in Him. Some may think, "I don't follow Christ and I'm just fine." Give life a try. Once you have truly lived you will never want to go back to the death that so many enjoy walking around in on a daily basis.

"Awake sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you."
Ephesians 5:14