-Others May, You Cannot-

I was flipping through my Grandfather's Bible, and I came across a small piece of paper, with fine print entitled, "Others May, You Cannot." It was like a little piece of clarity to questions I've had over the years. So many times I've found myself frustrated and confused about how other "Christians" choose to live. Whether it's right or wrong, people compare themselves to each other. I being one, find myself saying "well at least I'm doing better than this friend," or "wow my talent and ministry is nothing when I put it next to this person." There are as many different kinds of Christians as there are colors of skin. There are variations in lifestyles, convictions, beliefs, and ways of living. I'd sometimes think, why am I giving and living in a way that is extreme when compared to other Christians in America? Why do I have to stand out, or at times blend in...when other Christians seem to be quite care-free, living as they wish, other than crossing off Church attendance? Again, comparisons. What it comes down to is they aren't me, I'm not you, you aren't them. We are all as different as our fingerprint. And so our walks will be different. God might call you to do something I'll never do. He might call me to an area you'll never go to. I believe God has a specific plan and calling for each life. The sticky part is where we come in. Being so kind and gracious, God gave us our own free will, so yes, we do get to choose how we respond to His call. We get to choose how we live our life's. We choose our level of involvement, our level of passion. We choose how much time we want to give him, how much of ourselves we want to give him. I'm a Christian who believes that giving Christ your "All" means: ALL your mind, body and soul. There should be a distinct mark on all three of those areas that lets others know God exists in you. Now as I stated earlier, there is every type of Christian and I appreciate unique differences, but I also realize what works for another will not always work for me. Each individual has potential to grow. I want to grow to my fullest, and that means as a Christian, I actually have to decrease myself, so that Christ can be seen in me. I never want to be mediocre. I never want to be fake. I never want to be a Pharisee OR an abuser of God's grace. I sincerely do want to be like Christ...and not like me. There's no extreme love for humanity, or passion to reach out, or intense desire to be selfless in my natural state. But when I give God my heart, and let him enter the thoughts in my mind, and treat my body like His temple...I bring a bit of heaven to my life, and to others. It's not an easy life. It's not for the feint of heart. But I believe in losing my life, to find another in Him. Even if and when others around me choose another route in life I'm learning to remind myself of the special calling God's placed on my life, and that little voice that whispers, "Others May, You Cannot..." The road's narrow for a reason. Won't be easy, It WILL be worth it.

Enjoy the passage I found, hopefully it turns on a little light in your mind the way it did mine...

"If God has called you to be really like Jesus He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience,that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do things which He will not let you do.
Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans,but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.
Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.
Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.
The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious He may let others get credit for the work which you have done, and thus make YOUR REWARD TEN TIMES GREATER WHEN JESUS COMES.
The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time,which other Christians never feel distressed over. So make up your mind that God is an Infinitely Sovereign Being, and has a right to do as He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in His dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be His love slave, He will wrap you up in Jealous Love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.
Settle it forever, then that you are to DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others. Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this PECULIAR, PERSONAL, PRIVATE, JEALOUS GUARDIANSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OVER YOUR LIFE, then you will have found the vestibule of Heaven."