You are a What?

 

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.”  I John 2:1-3

There are verses in the Bible that are so comforting that they are like a hug.  Other verses are “ouchy”, more like a pinch.  This is one of those “ouchy” verses.  You say you love the Lord…prove it!  Does your life show that you know him and love him?  Are you doing what he says do?  If not, then you must not know him well.  That’s the Bible, not my opinion.

I have been to funerals before for people that I was sure were not Christians because I had never seen Christ-like behavior from them.  Only to be amazed when the pastor preached them right into heaven because of their belief in Christ.  Friend, the people around us should not have a doubt in their minds of whether or not we are a believer!

Working in the secular realm I am constantly surprised at people who one second talk about their strong belief in prayer and in the next breath speak profanity.  I have been in public with Christians and have them be so rude and inconsiderate until I was sure no one would suspect them of Christianity.  And can I be real?  Sometimes the “supposed to be a Christian” one was me.  I have been impatient with cashiers, waitresses or people in traffic.  Can we all be honest enough to say that if someone was doing surveillance on our lives they may find conflicting “proof” about our salvation?

I have heard Joyce Meyer, both live and on TV, exhorting the people who attend her meeting to act like Christians in the community.  She said that once she put on a conference in her home town and heard people in the community say that they dreaded conference time because Christians were some of the stingiest and rudest people their business had encountered.  What a shame!

I do not go to a hair stylist with bad hair!  I go see someone who looks as good as I would like to look.  I do not buy beauty products from someone whose skin looks like leather.  I buy it from someone who looks younger than their age.  This same logic applies to church and Christianity.  I only want to go to a church where there are people who act like I want to act.  Who show me what serving God looks like.  I want to be a person that others can follow me all the way to Jesus!  Paul said “Follow me as I follow Christ.”  If someone followed you, would it lead them to or from Christ?

Lord, show me the commandments that I have failed you in.  Help me to be someone whose life points back to you.  Forgive me where I have failed you.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri