Christian Living
We Are to be Living Examples of Christ
I'd like to share with you something that broke my heart and opened my eyes all at the same time. I’m a college student at West Virginia University. A college in Morgantown, West Virginia. I’m studying Nursing because that’s what I feel like God is calling me to be…a nurse. I started out wanting to be a pharmacist, like my mom because, like any young girl, I wanted to be just like my mother when I grew up. It was in about seventh grade that I felt that God was calling me to be a nurse, and changed my mind about what I wanted to do.
Anyway, in one of my classes, I met a guy whose name I’m not going to mention out of respect for his privacy. Anyway, he’s not a Christian, but he knows that I am. I’ve been trying to encourage him to come to church with me, or at least come to youth group, but I have yet to convince him. Believe it or not, he’s one of my best friends up here in Morgantown, so obviously I care about him. I want more than anything for him to join the family of Christ, but I know that it’s not in my control. I am simply a vessel used by God to spread His Light and Love to those around me. All I can do is pray for my friend and that God will soften his heart and bring him to Him. But that’s also not the main focus of this message.
Last night, I was standing in the lobby of my dorm just hanging out with my friend. As we were talking, I mentioned that I was worried about him. He smiled at me and was like “What are you worried about? That I’m going to burn in hell?” I smiled softly and replied “No, but I do worry about you. I wish you would at least give Chi Alpha a try…just one try, you might like it. If you don’t, you don’t ever have to come back. But please, just one time.” Chi Alpha is the youth group I’m a part of here at WVU. It’s amazing and I love it, but that’s a topic for another time. (Side note: he said he may try it out one time with me next semester. I know that it’s all in God’s timing and that all I can do is continue to love him and pray that God will move him to join me, but man I wish that movement would happen...like right now lol)
Anyway, after I said that, my friend contemplated what he was going to say next for a few minutes. Then he said, “I don’t judge people on their religion. I don’t block people out because they believe a certain thing. I don’t care what people believe, but the thing about Christianity, the reason I’m not interested in it, is because I see so much hate in it.” Ok, that hit me hard…like right to the core. Let me repeat that, “The thing about Christianity, the reason I’m not interested in it, is because I see so much hate in it.” This is such a wrong view of Christianity. Those so-called “Christians” out there that are claiming to be followers of Christ, but are displaying and promoting hate, have given people the wrong view of Christianity. How can someone claim to be a Christian, a follower and example of Christ, go about their lives giving the needy, the helpless, the ones that need saved, a skewed view of Christianity, and think that they are truly displaying Jesus Christ?
When my friend said that, my heart broke. I looked at him and said, “That’s not Christianity. Christianity is love…not hate. Anyone who is claiming to be a Christian and showing hate, isn’t a Christian at all. Christianity is about love. Showing love to those around us, being a true example of who Jesus is.” After I said that, he responded, “Yeah well,” and then changed the subject…For the remainder of the time I was with him, I couldn’t stop thinking of how sad I was that that was the view of Christianity he had been given his whole life.
Guys, as Christians, we are supposed to show God’s love and mercy and grace to the world, not claim to be Christian and then hide behind a mask of hate. We are supposed to be a light to the world. A light to those around us. God is love and we are supposed to be walking displays of that message. We are created in God’s image. Since God is love, we should be showing that to those around us.
In Matthew 5:14-16, it says: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
We are supposed to be living examples of our Father in Heaven. We are supposed to be living examples of His love. We can’t claim to be Christians and talk the talk, yet not walk the walk.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
We are supposed to be an example of who God is. We can’t accept the love of God and then keep it hidden. We need to show that love to the world.
“Let your light shine before men…”
We are supposed to shine the light of Christ to all who are around us. We are windows to God for those around us. People should be able to look at us and see God in how we talk, how we behave, how we live. If they can’t, then we aren’t doing what we were created to do. We need to reevaluate who we are and clean our panes, so that the light and love of God can be seen clear as day through us.
John 3:16 says:“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This is love. Crazy, unbelievable love. God has so much love for us that He gave up His ONLY Son to die on the cross to save us…a people who are so sinful and undeserving of love and grace and forgiveness. This message of the truest of true love is what we are supposed to be showing people. This crazy, undeserved love that God has bestowed upon us as sinners is the love that we are supposed to be sharing with people. This infinite chance that God has given us to come to Him and receive eternal life is the message that we are supposed to be giving people. Why then, are so many people confused about what Christianity is? Why then, are there people that see Christianity as being full of hate?
2 Corinthians 4:3-15 says:
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shown in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have the same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”
This passage is our whole purpose. We are supposed to reveal the life and love of Jesus in ourselves. We are to spread the grace of God “to more and more people,”so that the glory and love of God can be shown, so that we can bring more and more people into the family of Christ and share with them the immeasurable gift of eternal life.
Acts 13:47 says: “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed you as a light for the gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Mark 16:15 says: “And he said unto them, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
We are to spread the gospel to all nations; to every being on this earth; to every person we come in contact with. As Christians, we are to be Disciples of Christ, to spread the good news of salvation to all the world; to spread the grace and forgiveness of God; to exemplify His unchangeable love, His immeasurable mercy, and His amazing grace. This is our purpose.
There needs to be a change in this world. We should be so transparently displaying God and His love that not a single person be confused or convinced to believe that Christianity is hate. Christianity is love because God is love and we are His children. We are His followers. We should be a vision of God to those around us. As Christians, we should be so full of God’s love and grace that it’s seeping through every crack, and overflowing from every aspect of our lives. Let your life be an example of Christ. Let the love of God emanate from you in everything. Let the light of Christ shine through your struggles; let love seep from your broken heart to those around you; let your trials show God’s unending love, grace, and strength. I like to say that we are like metal candle holders with holes of every shape and size cut into the sides. When there’s no light, it appears ugly and unattractive, but as soon as a candle is lit within it, it becomes a beautiful display.
Everyone has holes in their lives. We’ve all gone through storms, but how we choose to live after the hurricane is what people notice. We may be the only view of God that people see, and our lives, storms and all, should exemplify God. After every storm, there’s a rainbow. We should show people that something beautiful can come from such ugly storms. Christianity is a faith based on love and forgiveness and grace. We need to be living proof that Jesus is alive and forgiving. We may be the only Jesus people see. God is love. Christianity should be love because God is love and we are His followers. It’s sad that some people think Christianity is hate. Christianity is not hate, and the fact that anyone thinks that it is, is proof that we aren’t living the kind of lives we were created to live. We were created to be examples of Christ.
We were created to spread the love of God, the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of salvation to the world. We were created to be walking examples of love and forgiveness. Our lives are gifts from God, given to us so that we can make a difference. We should be examples of Jesus Christ, the love of God emanating from us in everything we do. We must go out into the world and be living proof of that. No matter what you go through, show love. As a Christian, live the life you were created to live. Go into the world and be walking proof that love is real and that God is the ultimate display of love.
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Heavenly Father,
Help us be proof of your love. Help us show the world that you are a loving and forgiving God, waiting with open arms for anyone who wants to come to you. Help us live lives worthy of you, Lord. We were created to be examples of you and your grace, God. We aren’t perfect. We live in a sinful world and we lead sinful lives, but, Father, you love us so much that you sent your only Son to die on the cross, so that we may be forgiven of our sins and have the gift of everlasting life. Help us, Father, to show that love to the world, to each and every person around us. Help us be living proof that Christianity is NOT full of hate. Lord, we are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves and to spread the gospel to all nations. Father, we have been so blind to the message we have been sending. We were created to be a light in this dark world, but we haven’t been showing the kind of love we should be showing and thus have not been sharing that light. Give us the strength and confidence to step outside of our comfort zones and shine for you in all we do. Help us to be walking proof that love is real and that you, Father, are the ultimate display of love. We need your help, Lord. Give us strength and courage in all we do, and guide us in a way that would be pleasing to you, Father. Help us to be proof of your love, and to shatter the idea that Christianity is full of hate. You ARE love, Father, and we are to be the living proof of that. Thank you, Lord, for your unending and immeasurable love and grace. We don’t deserve it. May we all become walking examples of Jesus, and emanate your love in all we do.
We pray this in Jesus’ holy name, amen.
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It is a shame that some people, like your friend, think that Christianity is about hate. The Bible says when as much is up to us, be at peace with everyone, but it's not peace at all costs. Remember the money changers.
A few months ago, someone asked me not to talk about a friend of hers in my blogs. "You're a Christian, right?", she said. I explained that I blog about the homeless community in Bucks County PA, and I tell the story, blogging about the good and the bad. I said, in so many words, that I'll promise not to engage in name calling - the na-na-na-na na short of thing. I still have to watch myself, as I've harbored anger towards her friend and her husband after being wronged by them. I've been praying about it and I've had some progress. You're article is a good reminder how Christians should act.
I've also been camping out daily by a lady friend's bedside at a nursing home. She has terminal brain cancer, but I haven't given up hope. One of her roommates is very difficult. Now, after doing a favor or two for her, I've put her off because she takes advantage of people and wants them, including the aides and nurses, to wait on her hand and foot, as if they were her personal servants. I'm trying to strike a balance between not being a doormat and completely ignoring her and being hostile to her.
Good example to lead the story followed by a thorough argument.
I'm glad you focused on showing Jesus rather than the task of winning your friend over. After I walked away, a woman at college with Campus Crusade got all bent out of shape after she talked with me a couple times and I did not turn around. "Haven't we rapped enough?", she frantically said. "Rapped" is a 60's/70's term. I went to school with Fred Flintstone in the Yabba Dabba Doo school district.
-Jeff