Have you ever seen someone praying at the altar, or doing community service and thought to yourself, "He's a really good Christian." Or maybe it's just the way someone carries themself, the way they just shine the light wherever they go.
Well, I've decided that I absolutely hate the term "good Christian".
I've been thinking a lot lately about my example and my representation. As a believer, I'm supposed to be strong, right? I'm supposed to go to church, read my Bible, all of that "church stuff" that everyone just expects. I'm not supposed to swear, smoke, drink, whatever. Because that's "bad" in the eyes of the lost. And I agree, and I follow those guidelines, but is that the only basis for what a Christian should be? What you see with your eyes? Unfortunately that's the way everyone sees us. And unfortunately, that's oftentimes the way we treat things ourselves. We strive to be like the "good Christian" that we see at the altar every Sunday. Or sometimes we think that maybe we shouldn't do something, but then we see the "good Christian" doing it and suddenly it's okay. I wish that instead of worrying about what the "good Christian" is doing, we would worry about what God is doing. In us, around us, through us. Everyone is just so focused on others. They look at others with a microscope, especially us who say we're Christians. They make sure we are living the correct way in their eyes, not God's.
But what if we could change that? What if they looked deeper inside of us and saw what we really felt, knew, and loved? If they looked inside of us and saw Christ? Instead of saying, "oh, she doesn't go to parties because she's a good Christian" they thought, "she doesn't go to parties because she wants to serve Jesus and be wholly his"?
God can't be seen. Fact. And that is what we believe in, what we live by. Who we love and serve. So why do we spend so much time comparing ourselves to "good Christians", because of what we see them do? Yes, we should follow the example of other believers, but ultimately we should make our own example. Let God lead you, stretch you, bring you out of your comfort zone to accomplish what you never thought you could even think about doing before.
Personally, I don't want to be a "good Christian". I want to live by example, yes, and I am very conscious of it, yes, but I want others to see God deep inside of me and not just on the surface. I want them to see that I'm not perfect, none of us are. There is no "bar" for being a Christian; you're supposed to come as you are, not come only when you're this much of a "good person". I want to be broken. I want God to break my heart and open my eyes to his purpose and to our relationship. When I think of the word "good", I think okay. Acceptable. Decent. I don't want to be just good! I want to be devoted. I want God to know that I am fully his. Wholly and totally committed to him because he loves me and I love him. I don't want to hide the real God under the "good Christian" mask. I want others to see me as more than the "good Christian" but as the love and truth they want and need in their own lives.
[ ] Sara
2 comments:
I totally agree.
I am a follower of CHrist and his teachings.
I am more concerned of what He thinks of my heart than what others think of my attempt at being a "good Christian".
I'm in my forties, and really finally shedding the peer pressure of "what other "Good Christians think".
I know Jesus offended many by His revolutionary ways of dealing with and ministering to the "undesirables" of His time.
That's why I want to follow Him.
I like your message here of going deeper to own and own up to the message. To me, we're here to make the Word flesh too - with lips to speak and hands to act, not just ears to hear.
And so to me, every "imitation of Christ" that we don't feel from inside ourselves, that doesn't originate from out of who we are and are becoming, is just a bad act.
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