Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

I have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus.  I belong to Him. Where do you belong? To whom?  Deep down your soul knows that not one of them - those places and people you named - are nothing more than a house of cards.  They are rickety, temporary, and will never truly give you what your soul needs and longs for. Until you belong to Christ - Your Creator and Savior - you will forever be wandering (and wondering) in this life.  I don't care how big your bank account, social network, or family is.  There is nothing out there that will ever give you the deepest security, love, and sense of belonging that you were born for. Since I am not my own, my life is not my own.   If more Christians lived this way, knowing and believing that truly their lives are not their own, the world would be entirely transformed. What do I mean by all of this?  Simply this.  You are not in charge of your life.  God is. He calls the shots. He is your Master. He is your Lord. He reigns Sovereign over

  There is a huge price to pay when we truly follow Jesus all the way.  We will be misunderstood, mocked, ostracized, even persecuted.  There will be trials and tribulations.  So why bother?  Because He is worth it.  And what He offers - true peace, joy, comfort, redemption, being His daughter, faithfulness, wisdom, and oh, so much more - trumps anything this ol' world has to offer.   It pretty much boils down to having a longterm view of things.  Will we give up some worldly kudos for His present and eternal blessings?  Or will we strive to make sense of this life without a longterm, eternal view knowing deep down that it all flies by in a flash only to face Him in eternity anyway?  Oh, and being a "good person" won't fly in the end.  It is only by His precious blood shed for us that any of us can know His salvation. What we give up for His sake is nothing compared to the treasures we have in Him both now and forever.  And that is why I will follow Jesus always.  I&#