Once you settle on making Jesus your Savior and living the Christian life there are really two ways you can do it. Are you surprised? No one presents it this way but Jesus alludes to it when he says: “‘the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.'” (Matthew 11:12)

Honestly, you can live out Christianity passively or actively … violently even. The passive way is somewhat easier though there are some pitfalls. In the passive way you lay low and don’t expect much. Stay along the side of the road, don’t stir up trouble and don’t mix into anything that’s not your business. When you die you will go to heaven. Good enough.

What’s the pitfall? Well, Satan can easily dish it out to you because he knows you’ll take it. You’ll probably just say; “I guess this disease…disaster…setback must be God’s will.” Your table will be sparse and your low expectations will produce low results.

Now the active way. I have to admit that there are some pitfalls here too. If you go full throttle Satan may especially target you for threatening his territory. Spiritually speaking, your life will be action-packed so you’ll have to stay lean and mean with more prayer than you ever bargained for.

In the active way you will enforce the Word of God upon every situation in your life till victory comes. You will not take no for an answer in prayer. You will push and fight until you “take it by force.”

Well, which is it for you? Are you up for the violence Jesus challenges? If so, you will not just go to heaven when you die; you will possess the kingdom of heaven on the earth.