Dwight L. Moody once said, "Of one hundred men, one will read the Bible; the ninety-nine will read the Christian."
My pastor often states from the pulpit, "You are the only Bible some people will read."
These statements ought to convict us as Christians. They ought to make us pray, "Lord, help me to be a better Christian. Help me to better reflect Your love and mercy. Help others to see You in me."
Think about it. There are a lot of people in this world that have no desire to become a Christian. They don't plan on picking up a Bible any time soon. They view Christianity as an out-dated religion for fanatics. For this reason, they look for proof to justify their view of Christianity. In other words, they study us. If we claim to be Christians, we are under the microscope for all to see, and they will study us.
What will they see? Will they see lives that are no different than their own? Will they see "Sunday morning Christians" who only go to church when it's convenient, and even then, have nothing to share from the experience? Or, will they see Jesus shining through?
No, we can't be perfect, and I'm not suggesting we try. What I am suggesting is that we strive to become more like Christ so that when others look at us, they see Him. Wouldn't it thrill you to have someone come up to you and say, "I don't know what it is, but there's something different about you. I want what you have. Can you help me?" That would be awesome!
Let's live our lives as if the world were watching. We, as Christians, are under great scrutiny. Let's do everything we can to make sure that the world sees Christ and not our feeble attempts to play "Christian." Remember, the word "Christian" means "Christ-like." Let's live it or not claim it!
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. - II Corinthians 3:3
No comments:
Post a Comment