I can tell you all day long that the picture above is a sheep. But no matter what I tell you, you are going to see a duck. That is the way Christianity is. You can tell people all day long that you are a Christian but they are going to go by what they see. You can have all the cross jewelry, bumper stickers and highlighted Bibles you want - it doesn't make you a Christian. You can go to church every time the doors are open, but that doesn't make you a godly person. Saying you are a Christian isn't enough; you must show people.
God knows that we are not perfect which is why this verse says "make every effort"; however, it also says that without holiness, no one will see God. The best thing you can do for yourself and others is to live a godly life. Living a godly life encompasses too many things to list them all, but I wanted to share a few that I see on a daily basis:
- Tone - Do you know that how you say something is as important as what you say? Your words really won't matter if your tone is rude or hateful. In today's world, more people are offended by how we say things than what we are actually saying. You can speak the truth in love - Jesus did.
- Gossip - In my book, this is the number one sin among Christians today and they don't even realize it. And we excuse it by prefacing what we are saying with "I'm telling you so you can pray for them" or "I say this out of love" or my favorite "I'm not judging, but..." A friend of mine is experiencing a shake up within her church and all I've ever heard her do is gossip about it with others. I never hear any solutions of how to solve the problem. Stop talking to each other about the problems and start talking to God.
- Actions - Are you tailgating someone all the way to church and shaking your hands at them all the way? Are you leaving your shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot for someone else to deal with? Your actions are how people see God. Make sure that everything you do you do with excellence. If you knew God was watching, would you do it? Guess what, He is. When someone says something to me that I know isn't the complete truth, I say "You know God can hear you right?" He can also see you.
- Judging - You can call it whatever you want but when you have an opinion about something that doesn't involve you, you are judging. You are forming a opinion about something you don't have all the facts about. The main reason that God tells us not to judge is because He is the only one that knows someone's heart. "I can't believe they are wearing that." Maybe it is all they have. Maybe they haven't had any good role models in their life to teach them. Maybe it is their taste and it is their favorite outfit. The truth is it isn't any of your business. God tells us 3 times in the Bible to mind our own business. Focus more on what you are showing the world and less on what others are doing.
These are just a few of the things I observe Christians doing on a daily basis that is in opposition to the example God wants us to be. In today's verse, God instructs us to live a holy life so that God can be seen through you. Part of living a holy, godly life is living at peace with others. And today's verse focuses on this one thing. And notice is also says everyone. We don't get to pick and choose who we are at peace with; we are instructed to be at peace with everyone. This will lead to a more holy life and living a holy life will lead to others seeing God in you. And seeing is believing!
Have a blessed week!
Love ~Debbi
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