How To Respond To A Challenge

The other day I wrote a post called How To Deal With Christian Peer Pressure.  One of my friends challenged something I said in it.  The question we have to ask when that happen is how are we going to deal with it.  So here goes.

First, let me share what he challenged me about.  I made a statement in that post that we should pursue the Lord with all we have and then do what we want.  My friend said that this statement gave him the shivers.  At least, the do what we want part.

So, how do I respond to that?  What do I do with it?  How do I handle it?

I appreciate it.

Obviously, in that snippet, I didn’t explain fully what I meant.  My friend’s challenge gives me the opportunity to more fully explain what I mean.

I believe that we should love God with our heart, soul and mind.  Another way to put it is to delight ourselves in the Lord.  So, when I say pursue God with all you have, that’s what I mean.  I mean go after him hard with your heart, soul and mind.  I mean delight yourself with all you’ve got.  I don’t think you have to be miserable.  I think you seek your satisfaction and happiness in the Lord.  Every day.  Every way.

When we do that, I honestly believe that we can do whatever we want to do.  Why?  Because if we are doing this, then what we want to do will be what He wants us to do.  What I want to do, in those circumstances, will be what God wants me to do.  That doesn’t mean that I think it will be peaches and cream.  I don’t think it will always be comfortable.  However, I do think that my desires will be aligned with His will.

An example of this could be found in a post I wrote the other day called But Lord, I Don’t Want To Go To Africa.  I have never wanted to go to Africa.  However, if I am pursuing God with all I have, then I believe that if He wants me to go to Africa, I will have the desire to go.  So, I should do what I want to do.

I appreciate my friend challenging me and giving me the though and opportunity to clarify my sentence from the previous post.

How do you respond to challenge?