Glory Be to Jesus Christ... Glory Forever!
I was just speaking with a friend about how hard it is when you're at work or around peers to maintain prayer and focus on God.
We live in a culture where anti-christian attitudes and lifestyles are shoved constantly down ones throat.
Let me know some of the ways that you are able to keep the mind and the heart always on Him...

James

seekpeace2001@yahoo.com http://members.truepath.com/ross http://members.truepath.com/materdei

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Glory be to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

Hey Ross, welcome!

I have a little more freedom than most when I am at my job during the week. I can play Christian CD's on my computer all day if I wanna... I also have some control over who we hire to work with, so it helps the applicants if they are Christian as well... tho we haven't been too good at that recently...

My job on the weekends isn't such a good situation, I have no control who I work with at the hospital, tho there are a few Christians there... that's when you rely on inner strength.

I don't believe God would have us in a Christian cocoon anyways... we reach no-one then. Something I like to call "preaching to the choir". We get so caught up in "bless me" circles we forget the Great Commission, to go into all the world. This doesn't necessarily mean we are to leave our country and travel to foreign lands, God has placed us here to be a light to those around us... usually much more difficult to do than go and be anonymous somewhere else.

Ooops, off-topic. Yes, it is "trendy" to be anti-Christian in a lot of circles... we must rely on those who are our true friends in Christ to keep us lifted up. That's why Churches and groups like stand and contact are so important. We just can't remain so comfortable that we don't venture away from the cocoon...

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- Allen

Amen! Good call, Allen.
I do enjoy working in the environment that I am in (most of the time.) where I am free to play the music and talk to co-workers about how awesome God is. But, I can't lie when I say that I do miss being able to work with non Christian people. I pretty much had the whole peer pressure thing beat...I felt no desire to go out to the parties. But I was able to be there the next morning, sober and clear headed to help nurse their hangovers with a good little dose of, "see, I had just as much fun as you did last night at church, and I didn't spend all night praying to the toilet gods once I got home...(followed by a very loud noise...) And my head doesn't hurt after hearing the oven timer go off..."
I got to witness to so many people...co workers, customers...I miss that. I would trade freedom to play my music and be in a comfort zone for the chance to slip in a Christian CD amongst all the secular garbage...and risk getting funny looks when I talk about how awesome God is...Don't get me wrong...I LOVE the fellowship with other Christians. I thrive on it, even. Wouldn't be where I am today without it...but a part of me misses being able to give someone a cup of coffee while they sober up and witness to those people who are hurting so bad.... But God has me where He has me for a good reason. And I am so thankful that He has me here although I haven't yet figured out what that reason is. I KNOW beyond a shaddow of a doubt that the job that I have is a blessing straight from God. An answer to months worth of prayer. He has my future and my present in His loving hands...
Back to the topic...it is sad how our culture has become obsessed with darkenss. Death is fascinating...blood and gore are "cool"...Self mutilation is a fad....as well as the mutilation of others...it's a "high". Anti Christian activity is at an all time high...it's scary. But on the other hand, it's just confirmation of what the Bible has prophesied...which is why it is that much more important to get out there and get our hands dirty. To step out and MAKE the opportunity to witnes to those who are hurt and dying...



What's THAT supposed to mean???

I wasn't talking about you... I meant the other girl we hired recently...



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- Allen

<FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size="4">Dear all;
Glory Be to Jesus Christ... Glory Forever!</FONT s></FONT f>

Thanks for your comments. I work in a small office with one believer and most non believers although for most of the day, I can be pretty much by myself.
I have had many excellant discussions with some and the relatioships are positive.
Yet even here, I sometimes slip into a "I'll just be a 'normal'guy mode" and don't reply to things when I know I should.
Your thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Also I must say...
This a great service to have as it is positive and Christian without beeing saccarin and "holier than thou." Thanks!

James

seekpeace2001@yahoo.com

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Glory be to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

Hey ross. I myself, work in an enclosed atmosphere (I am a nanny) but in my everyday life I enteract with the "real world". I am active in my church but my religion allows things that others frown on, and this poses a tough situation for me. Bad decisions are made within the world of alcohol etc. and so to be a christian in the sense of the word for me is a very individual thing. I would be "preaching to the choir" as allen said if I were to try to share my faith within myself with those with whom I share an afterwork drink with. I try to slide in the message of how much faith has kept me on my feet and the undeniable strength you find within the church and such groups like stand.

But as for the friend situation, frankly I have given up most all of my friends save three and my sister in order to be less surrounded by temptation. Good luck and welcome to the forum !



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If at first you don't succeed, try and try again ...

There are about three ways that realy seem to help me , they are

Playing Christian Rock music or Singing , I also pray it has realy helped me the most. I am allways with someone at work and most of them ar not Christians but there are thouse that are .

Its sad when you have to give up friends for god...is that how he works????

DA


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CRAZY STUBBORN ATHIEST!

Hey DA.... waasssuuppp??

It doesn't work that way, but can be a choice if you like.

It really kinda depends on your situation, pre-choosing to follow Christ. Most people we call "friends" are barely what can even be termed "aquaintences". Focusing on the people who are positive influences in our lives is more a part of maturity than anything else.

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- Allen

Good call, Allen.

Jim, when you were younger, did your parents ever tell you that they didn't want you to have something because it would not be good for you? Possibly something as silly as candy right before bed or someting as serious as hanging out with a certain person who wasn't a good influence?
You didn't understand why your parents would ask you to give up something that you enjoyed. Possibly it even made you upset at the time...but looking back, you can understand that it was not out of cruelty, but out of love that they did certain things.
That is how God is. He is our Father. He left us with a set of rules and guidelines to follow not so that we would be deprived, but so that we would be able to avoid situations that could cause us pain.
If you were an alcoholic who was trying to sober up, would your sponsor advise against you haniging out with your old drunken friends because he doesn't want you to have fun? No...he doesn't want you to fall into an old patter.
It is the same way with Christians who are trying to live a life pure and holy for God. Sometimes we, out of common sense, will realize that the relationships that we built before we turned our lives over to God can no longer continue if we wish to stay out of trouble. If all of your friends go out to clubs and drink, and you have decided not to drink or go clubbing, would it stand to reason that you need to surround yourself with a different crowd of people? If all of your friends had foul mouths and it made you sick to hear that kind of language all the time, wouldn't you want to be around someone who didn't swear? And I am not saying that we should no longer associate with those people. After all, we want them to find what we found. And we are no better than they just because we are saved, but as far as spending all of our time with them when we are still weak and in our growing phase...that's just not a smart idea! Of course, (and I have said this before) I have found that the people that I called "friends" before I met God did not truely love mme for who I was....the loved me for what I could give them.
I don't want to be loved because I am needed. I want to be needed because I am loved.
Does that make sense? Sometimes I believe that God will call us out of a certain situation that we may think is okay, but later we find out that it was not...I learned that the hard way. And it wasn't because God was trying to becruel to me or the other people involved. He knew what was best.
And other times, as Allen said, it is a concious choice. A decision that we make based on common sense and maturity. We can see that it would not be smart to confide in this person or hang around with that person on a daily basis...and if I can't confide in someone, then they aren't really a "friend". They are, as Allen said, an acquaintance. We use the term friend so lightly now days.
I will admit, I have MANY acquaintences, but few people that I actually consider close friends. And I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. For one, the less people you rely on, the more you have to rely on God. Secondly the less people you confide in, the less chance you have of confiding in the wrong person!
Well, as usual, I think I said too much. But I just want you to understand that God does not "work" in such a way that He will ask us to give up things that we need. He will advise us to give up things that we think we want because we cannot see the grand scheme of things. He can...

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Michelle

Wow...I don't know where you find your words, but you find them!! The only friends I have are guys I KNOW I can rely on...indeed...I place my life in their hands daily.

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CRAZY STUBBORN ATHIEST!

I would trust my true friends with my life also.

I know where my words come from...

Ya might wanna stop asking questions before we start making sense....

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Michelle

Yeah... all that stuff forever said... my mind was willing, but my fingers were weak..

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- Allen