Real Christianity

Disclaimer: This post is not directed toward anyone more than to myself. If you see yourself, or someone else in these words, it was not intentional.

Lately, I’ve been considering how the world views Christians. There are lots of people who claim to be Christians, (many who even go to church every Sunday, perhaps sing in the choir or teach a Sunday school class or work in some other ministry of the church) who give non-Christians an excuse to have nothing to do with God or church. At church, they are all smiles and amens, but at home or work their actions belie their words.

I know that I have been guilty of that myself. I’ve always been quick to let people know that I am a Christian and a faithful church-goer, but my life hasn’t always lived up to my speech. Having grown up in church, the right words roll so easily off my tongue. At church, I’ve heard literally hundreds of people get up and testify about what God has done for them, and it is so easy to parrot those words.

I’ve made sure that the people I work with know that I’m a Christian, but have I shown them by my actions or only by my attestation? I know I tend to be too critical of people: co-workers, managers, customers, etc. I’ve been trying lately to do better with that. So many people who come in the store are unlovely, unlovable, and sometimes downright disgusting. It’s not so easy to show Christian love to those people. I’ve become aware that perhaps God put me in my position to be a light, an example of His love. I’ve been consciously trying to be kind and show compassion, especially when it’s the hardest to do, because perhaps, I will be the only person all day, or all week, to show them kindness. Verse 22 in the book of Jude comes to mind often, “And of some have compassion, making a difference.” That’s what I want to do…make a difference!

On another note, how many times are even the words spoken in church hollow? How many times have you heard the same person get up and say the exact same thing every time they speak, with such familiarity that it sounds like a broken record, with no discernable emotion or sincerity. I am so very grateful that God saved me! I certainly didn’t deserve it, and neither did anyone else. So, how can anyone get up and say, “I’m thankful for my salvation,” in the same tone of voice that they would say, “The sun is shining today”? Are we thinking about what we’re saying, or are we just reciting what we’ve always heard and think everyone expects to hear? Is God working in our lives? If He is, how can we be so monotonous in talking about it? And, how can we say we love God and go on living as if He is somewhere far off in space and unconcerned about how we represent Him?