300 WORDS TO SAVE THE WORLD

The following blog was inspired by true events.

Just kidding. It was actually inspired by a conversation I had with a friend a couple nights ago.
I would've written this yesterday, but unfortunately my internet was down and so blogging was simply out of the question. Anyway, without further ado...

Yesterday, as I was walking around campus, I was thinking about the conversation I had had the night before.. and then I had a thought. It was this.. Imagine that you (yes, you!) were given the opportunity to give a speech to the world. It would be translated into every possible language and everyone would be tuned in. You get to choose the topic.. it can be anything you want! .. but there's a catch - You only get 300 words.
Think about it.. 300 words.. that's about one page.. double-spaced. And no matter what message you decide needs to be conveyed in these 300 words, you'll probably want to choose them carefully. You want to make sure every word is necessary and deliberate.

I gave this a lot of thought yesterday. I'd love to tell you that I wrote my 300 word speech.. but I didn't. Maybe someday I will, but for now, that's not really the point. My point is this: Your life is your speech. Just think about it. Chances are, nobody will ever ask you to actually give a speech to the world.. probably no one will ever ask you to even give a speech to your country. Fortunately though, we're given an opportunity that (I think) is equally great! You are probably seen by hundreds of people each day. In fact, you might even talk to hundreds of people each day.. maybe thousands! On the unfortunate side, we're not usually even given 300 words. Sometimes we're lucky if we get two.. but our actions speak volumes..
So, what exactly am I getting at? Well, I guess in some ways, this is directed at Christians, although in other ways.. not so much. The phone conversation I had was actually about Christians and drunkenness. Over the years, a lot of people have asked me what my thoughts are on alcohol, etc. I've always said that I don't have a problem with drinking in and of itself. This is still true. But as Christians, you should know what your message is. Your speech already has a topic.. your life has a purpose. You don't know exactly how long you have.. but I can tell you right now, it's not long enough.
So shouldn't all your choices be necessary and deliberate? I'm not saying that you shouldn't have fun.. this might make your 'speech' boring and uninteresting. But while you're having fun, don't you think it's important not to stray from your purpose?

I have a lot more to say about this, but I think I'm going to stop here.

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. " Ephesians 5:15-18

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1Peter 3:15-16