Stand by me?

I am preparing for Youth Bible Study tonight. (If you are wondering I work best under pressure... and last minute planning allows the Holy Spirit to work through you until the last possible moment).  I really want to talk about living a risk taking faith. Living a life that is out of the box, against the flow, and out of the ordinary. God is so good because I am also taking time to study Philippians a little bit each day and I came across Philippians 1:27-30. 

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a  manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don't be intimidated in anyway by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. 

Two things jumped out to me in this scripture: 

1. We need to "Conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. 

2. We need to stand side by side and fight together for faith

Wow! That hit me between the eyes! I am a youth minister and have been for ten years now and I really feel as though I use my profession as my get out of jail free card...my free pass to faith... the spoon fed answer to the question "am I doing something to further God's kingdom". I have to admit that I hide behind my profession because I don't set my faith expectations very high. 

I can't hide behind my name tag anymore. It is time to conduct myself in a manner worthy of the Gospel.... beyond teaching the youth about Jesus.....  beyond Wednesdays and Sundays...... beyond my comfort zone. 

I am on the quest to be a Godly Woman... and more importantly to understand what that means. I want to be somebody who people are ready to stand next to and fight the faith with me. I want my whole life to embody the Gospel. Not in a way that threatens others or intimidates others... but in a way that encourages others to stand by me. Side by side for the same purpose. 

Honestly I have not been living a life that completely gives me citizenship to heaven. I need to remember that my words, my actions, and my life should be a mirror to heaven. It should reflect my Creator. 

I know that all of us fall short. But I don't want that to be my excuse. 

It is time to jump out of my little box and into line standing next to my friends and mentors who encourage my faith each step of the way and I want to be able to hold out my hand that others can grasp to stand next to me in a faith that changes lives.

That is my prayer............... and just so happens to be the Youth Bible Study for tonight! God is so so good!!!