Routine Checkup

♪Pardon me while I throw up, I guess some people grow up. What happened to the salvation you claimed? It breaks my heart to see how much you've changed♫ -Relient K "What Have You Been Doing Lately?"

Facebook is a great tool nowadays. You can keep up with people that you never get a chance to actually see and talk to in person, and, most importantly, you can stalk those people that you don't really care anything about but you just want to know about their lives and how they are doing.

I have been out of high school for almost three years now, and I often find myself checking up on people to see what and how they are doing. Many times, I find myself reminiscing about great times I had with these people, and I silently wish them the best in life. Other times, I come across people whose lives are a complete disappointment to me. I find that they have completely changed and that there is no way that I would have been friends with them if they began as the person they are today. Anytime I find myself in this mindset, I think about the Relient K song above. These once claimed 'Jesus Freaks' are now sucked into a world that promises rebellious freedom, and yet only delivers them bondage into a certain lifestyle. It makes me sick to say the least. 

So I ask you, why did you change? Was Christianity not good enough? Was Jesus not all you expected Him to be? Was church not meeting your standards? Whatever the case may be, something has changed, and it is not for the better. James 1:27 reads, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this...to keep oneself unstained from the world." If you are one of these people, I challenge you to get back to where you started. It may be a gradual process, but I know that your faith and salvation is something that you once believed, and  it is never too late to regain it and to get back to where you were in your walk.

If you are not one of these people that has lost your footing, I challenge you to help others that have. I can almost guarantee that as you read this, one or two specific people came to your mind. Be an encouragement, help them keep the faith, and, most importantly, pray for them. I also challenge you to not be one of those people that loses the faith.