By Ashley Thaba
A RECENT conversation with a new friend inspired me to write this week’s article.
She was telling me that she is ready to quit drinking, smoking and fornication and turn to Jesus, but she fears she will be bored. Her words made me laugh when she said “Yep, I am a real sinner but I want to change!” I laughed because I assured her we are all sinners!!
But her questions were practical and genuine. What will weekends look like if she leaves her current life? What will she do on Friday nights if she is following God’s plan for her life? What will she do to make her happy? What does dating look like without pre-marital sex? Honestly, I applaud her candid questions and I think many share her fears, so I thought I should extend my answer to you.
First of all, it should be asked why one would want to leave a life of “sin”? Could it be that it isn’t as exciting and fulfilling as the world promises it will be? Is it possible that the late night drinking grows “boring” after a while too? Sleeping with person after person gets “boring” as well. Losing money to the expensive cost of booze, doing things you later regret and exposing yourself to possible situations that will put your body into unnecessary harm isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. Could it be that you actually see that on Saturday morning after a late Friday night when your pockets are empty, your head is aching and your kids are disappointed in your lifestyle choices, you wish there was another path? Do you somehow feel bound to repeat the same mistakes week after week as if they have enslaved you?
Or perhaps excessive drinking isn’t your thing. Perhaps weekends are full with physical intimacy with people outside marriage? Again, my friend was sharing, it isn’t that she wants to do these things, but what other choice is there? It feels good and after a long weekend, shouldn’t we do what seems right and pleasurable? Is there another option for fulfilling fun? Or is the other option “boring” abstinence? Is that honestly even a realistic option? Do people still actually save themselves from marriage or does that only happen in monasteries?
Here is a peek into what I told her. I hope it encourages you if you find yourself asking some of the same questions.
First of all, I told her, “stick with me for a week and you will see if my life is anything but boring.”
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There is never a dull moment in my life. For those of you who would like a little peek into my life, go to my Facebook page, Talking with the Thabas or watch my YouTube channel: Ashley Thaba.
Or read about the lives of the disciples in the Bible. Boredom is not a word you would associate with their stories!
Let me tell you one secret I told her as to why my life is not the typical treadmill of life most step on and keep plodding away on until they retire or die. Every single day, multiple times throughout the day I ask God to use me as a vessel. He can encourage others through. May I be His ambassador to share His light and His love? Could I be His hands to serve others? Could I be His mouth to speak wisdom to those seeking guidance? Thinking like that may convey that I am trying to sound holy.
On the contrary, I have found truth in the verse in the Bible which states something kind of confusing and radical. This is what it says, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it, but whoever insists on keeping his life will lose it; and what profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one’s self?” Lose your life and actually save it? Seems like an oxymoron!
Think about it. When your life has purpose and each day you live to bless others and not just yourself, there is something incredibly fulfilling you will inevitably experience. Your life matters. Someone’s day is a little brighter because you sent them an encouraging text. The person in the grocery store checkout line that looked like they were having a bad day smiled because of some nice comment you said. Your friend feels a little less lonely because you showed genuine interest and enquired about her day. Try it! And when you start to look at other people’s problems, suddenly even if just for a few minutes, you forget about your own!
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
It is exciting to be a spokesperson who can help people reconcile with their Creator and Saviour. Reporting for duty each morning to the King of Kings and saying, “Alright my Lord, here I am… send me. Let me be your ambassador of reconciliation!” I love the privilege of sharing the good news that God loved you when you were a “sinner” and still wants a relationship with you. Your earthly father may have let you down but I can guarantee your Heavenly Father won’t. Through His Holy Spirit, you can experience peace that transcends understanding and joy that is ever present. It is exhilarating to speak God’s truths and promises and know He will do that which He has promised. I am simply a messenger delivering His wonderful love story to others through sharing what I and many others have personally experienced. Simply put… it is fun to share the gospel and be a Kingdom ambassador. It is nice to be a light in a sea of darkness. It is fulfilling to live a life you are proud of because you make choices led by God and not by whatever your emotional desires are for that day (which you usually end up regretting later).
