The definition of honor is to adherence to what is right even when others are not. Without people who do what is right expecting the uncomfortable where would we be? Nate Saint, Nathaniel Bowditch, George Mueller, Thomas Jefferson, the apostle Paul, Abraham Lincoln, Douglass Macaurther, Jesus Christ: these all are some of the most honorable men who fought for what is right and the goodwill of every person. Honor, servanthood, and joy that was what they stood for and that is what I stand for. At least now I do. I didn’t before. I made some mistakes as do we all. I was a sinner I fell into a deep addiction. Sin took up even recess of my heart and I wore a mask. I would go to church a smile and was fully involved in the
...production of youth services. Everyone thought I was the perfect Christian. I knew scriptures and quoted them I mean the ones that benefitted me I ignored the ones like Romans 6: 1-4, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” I wanted sin, but it was breaking me. My soul was dividing, the split, the cracking. I would go through days where
I was happy and joyful and that same night I was crying and cutting myself. Time and time again it was this slow coming to a decision a turning point. I had gone a good week without sinning and was feeling great. I was serving at a VBS and during a break, I was talking with a friend about being Christian brothers and I said, “ you know if I were walking in sin I would want you to say hey brother walk out, be free.”
That is when it hit me. I was determined that Sunday to talk to a pastor. It was my goal. I talked to a pastor and then my parents and we established barriers. They suggested it would be a good idea to change pace so I moved here and really focused my whole heart on the whole bible. My focus had been in laziness, pride, the approval of others and preserve my sin life. Self-preservation; I wanted to keep my old man and still be holy. I learned that is not possible. I learned that life requires constant conscience choices. I learned that I had to choose God, that I had to choose redemption, that I had to choose life. One thing I am learning as a Christian is that we don’t start in a perfect state we start out in a state with tons of potential. A seed, a fetus, $1 what do these things have common? There is potential they are all in their weakest state. All things grow from their weakest state with the most potential o a strong stable state and a perfect end. Am I
there? nope, I am very far from it but I know every decision works me towards where God wants me. Will I choose his path? I hope, I try, I choose every step being aware of God’s path. Like a seed with great potential, it can grow into a beautiful large tree or rot and turn into fertilizer from another tree. Will you be someone’s fertilizer? Our lives have a lot of potential are we going to use it to the full? Was I going to use the potential of this speech to the full? To be honest I didn’t want to use this speech to tell you about me. I wanted to use this speech to tell you about my heart and where I’ve been and where I am going. I was scared to open up but I knew God wanted me to do this. I am growing toward God closer every day. He never ceases to amaze me in his glory. I delight myself in You, captivated by your beauty I’m overwhelmed by you. This statement accurately describes my relationship with God. He overwhelms me and heals me. I want to end this speech with a challenge: choose to plant seeds of encouragement, choose joy. Put yourself out there. Honor is the only instinct that trumps our instinct for self-preservation.
