Don't Waste Your Life

So, with this being my first post I am going to go ahead and apologize ahead of time for my journalism skills (or lack there of.) We were all give different gifts right?!? I wanted to share first and foremost something that has been instrumental in my Christian walk in the last couple of years. This may come as a shock to you, but it is rap music. Christian rap that is. I will admit when I was younger I got caught up in the secular rap music, but never really paid attention to the true trash and shameless messages that these songs send to people. I was for some reason always a sucker for awesome beats and being able to say words at 120 b.p.m. Thankfully, I was introduced to the amazing and uplifting rap music of the 116 Clique. These guys are a group of Christian rappers (signed to reach records), many of whom are from the Dallas area. The 116 in their name stands for Romans 1:16. Their main witness is to not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I will warn you ahead of time that you will probably get tired of hearing me talk about these guys or posting their videos, but they are that talented and that strong of influences for Christ.
The title of my blog today is influenced by one of Lecrae's (the most popular Christian rapper out there) hit songs. This song sums up pretty much everything about what we need to do while here on earth. Here are the lyrics
"I know a lot of people out there scared they gone die
Couple of em thinking they'll be livin in the sky
But while I'm here livin man I gotta ask why, what am here fo I gotta figure out
Waste my life
No I gotta make it count
If Christ is real then what am I gone do about
All of the things in Luke 12:15 down to 21
You really oughta go and check it out
Paul said if Christ ain't resurrect then we wasted our lives
Well that implies that our life's built around Jesus being alive
Everyday I'm living tryin show the world why
Christ is more than everything you'll ever try
Better than pretty women and sinning and living to get a minute of any women and men that you admire
Ain't no lie
We created for Him
Outta the dust he made us for Him
Elects us and he saves us for Him
Jesus comes and raises for Him
Magnify the Father why bother with something lesser
He made us so we could bless Him and to the world we confess him
Resurrects him
So I know I got life
Matter fact better man I know I got Christ
If you don't' see His ways in my days and nights
You can hit my brakes you can stop my lights
Man I lost my rights
I lost my life
Forget the money cars and toss that ice
The cost is Christ
And they could never offer me anything on the planet that'll cost that price.
Armed and dangerous
So the devil jus can't handle us
Christian youth them a stand wid us
Livin' n driven
Given a vision
Fullfillin the commission he handed us
London to Los Angeles
Da rap evangelist
Ma daddy wouldn't abandon us
"I gotta back pack fulla tracts plus I keep a Johnny Mac"
So are you ready to jam with us
So let's go, gimme the word an let's go
Persecution let's go
Tribulation let's go
Across the nation let's go
Procrastination bes go
Hung on the cross in the cold
Died for da young and the old
Can't say you never know
Heaven knows
How many souls are going to hell or to heaven so we gotta go in and get em
Whaaaaat!
Suffer
Yeah do it for Christ if you trying to figure what to do with your life
If you making money hope you doing it right because the money is Gods you better steward it right
Stay focused if you ain't got no ride
Your life ain't wrapped up in what you drive
The clothes you wear the job you work
The color your skin naw we Christian first
People living life for a job
Make a lil money start living for a car
Get em a house a wife kids and a dog
When they retire they living high on the hog
But guess what they didn't ever really live at all
To live is Christ yeah that's Paul I recall
To die is gain so for Christ we give it all
He's the treasure you'll find in the mall
Your money your singleness marriage talent and time
They were loaned to you to show the world that Christ is Divine
That's why it's Christ in my rhymes
That's why it's Christ all the time
My whole world is built around him He's the life in my lines
I refused to waste my life
He's too true ta chase
That ice
Heres my gifts and time cause I'm constantly trying to be used to praise the Christ
If he's truly raised to life
Then this news should change your life
And by his grace you can put your faith in place that rules your days and nights."

Wow! If that doesn't get you excited, then I don't know what will. My favorite part of this whole song, is in the third verse when Lecrae says, "your money, your singleness, marriage, talent, and time, they were loaned to you to show the world that Christ is Divine." I get the chills every time I hear this, while simultaneously feeling guilty most times. I am so lucky to be LOANED anything that I have from Christ, and yet I more often then not somehow think that I did something to earn these things on my own. The things listed in these lines hit on so many different levels of the spectrum of gifts from God. If nothing else, he has given us time to use to honor and expand his kingdom. So many times I wish that there were more hours in the day, but I find that I am never wishing for those extra hours because I ran out of time to share Christ with multiple people. I am not looking for extra time because I wasn't able to make peace with someone I was arguing with in time. I am not looking for extra time because I ran out of time telling my family and friends how blessed I am God has put them in my life. And I am definitely not wishing for more hours because I was just in his Word too much that day.  That is why I am trying to change my priorities. God is using rap, awesome beats, and still words at 120 b.p.m. to pull at my heart. I do not want to waste my life, I know that. I want to live each day knowing that I am not wasting Christ's time by not utilizing the gifts he has given to me, not matter how big or small I think they are. Anyways, I guess this is enough rambling for my first post. God Bless and have a great rest of your week!!!!

                                                                    Reid