True Christianity. Life-changing, world-impacting Christianity. What exactly is it?
It is not how long and deep my prayer life is--though prayer is essential to Christian growth. Private prayer being much more important than public, group prayer. As the old saying goes, "Pray, you can't make God too busy"--though He's love to have you try.
True Christianity is not how consistent I am with my daily devotions either. In fact, if daily devotions serve as a substitute for personal Bible study, they may be a detriment to my Christian growth.
In addition, how active I am in church or youth groups or other Christian ministries are not proof of dynamic Christian character. Practical application of truth is necessary, but at times, we think activity--busyness--is synonymous with ministry. It's not. As Oswald Chambers says, "Service to God is often in competition with devotion to God."
No, true Christianity--a Christ-like life that makes a difference--is not judged by how much spiritual power I bring to spiritual things. Rather, it is how much power I bring to earthly, ordinary things. How much of the spirit of Christ do people see in my life in the areas where He's least expected--at work, in the classroom, at the restaurant, in my home, in my friends' homes, on the athletic field, on the telephone, in the car? The power of Christ--an attitude of meekness, submission, service, love, patience, forgiveness--need to be evident in the normal, everyday activities of my life before I can legitimately claim to be on the road to becoming an example of true Christianity. And until people see Christ in my daily behavior, they may be more inclined to call me a hypocrite than a disciple. And they'll be right.
The ultimate goal, my calling as the light of the world, is to glorify God through my life--every aspect of my life, every moment of every day. My daily life must be worthy of praising Him--a reflection of His character to a watching world. And the minute they know I'm a child of God, they are watching. May I, like my Savior, be able to say "I do always those things that please my heavenly Father."
It is not how long and deep my prayer life is--though prayer is essential to Christian growth. Private prayer being much more important than public, group prayer. As the old saying goes, "Pray, you can't make God too busy"--though He's love to have you try.
True Christianity is not how consistent I am with my daily devotions either. In fact, if daily devotions serve as a substitute for personal Bible study, they may be a detriment to my Christian growth.
In addition, how active I am in church or youth groups or other Christian ministries are not proof of dynamic Christian character. Practical application of truth is necessary, but at times, we think activity--busyness--is synonymous with ministry. It's not. As Oswald Chambers says, "Service to God is often in competition with devotion to God."
No, true Christianity--a Christ-like life that makes a difference--is not judged by how much spiritual power I bring to spiritual things. Rather, it is how much power I bring to earthly, ordinary things. How much of the spirit of Christ do people see in my life in the areas where He's least expected--at work, in the classroom, at the restaurant, in my home, in my friends' homes, on the athletic field, on the telephone, in the car? The power of Christ--an attitude of meekness, submission, service, love, patience, forgiveness--need to be evident in the normal, everyday activities of my life before I can legitimately claim to be on the road to becoming an example of true Christianity. And until people see Christ in my daily behavior, they may be more inclined to call me a hypocrite than a disciple. And they'll be right.
The ultimate goal, my calling as the light of the world, is to glorify God through my life--every aspect of my life, every moment of every day. My daily life must be worthy of praising Him--a reflection of His character to a watching world. And the minute they know I'm a child of God, they are watching. May I, like my Savior, be able to say "I do always those things that please my heavenly Father."
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