It’s not enough to just claim to be a Christian or claim to believe. Is there enough evidence in the way we live and act to convict us of being one? Do we read what the word says and make steps to actually apply it in our lives?
•How is our inner life?
•Is our heart ordered as God commands?
Do we trust God when we are giving, helping, and serving or do we hoard our time and resources to our comfort levels?
•How about emotions? Are we people who are an emotional roller coaster? Doesn't mean be flat and boring but too many of us are living from these very high highs to these very low lows, and we're like yo-yos.Our husband, kids, or friends walk in the house and don't know what to expect.
One of my favorite scriptures about representing God is this:
2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us.
That's a big important job representing God. We need to stop and examine all the areas of our lives and ask are we doing a good job of this to the eyes of the unbelieving world? If we can't and won't try to get our emotions and our lives under control and under surrender he just won't be able to work through us.
As ambassadors for Christ, I know we have to make sure we are representing Him the right way too. Not only in selfless acts, the way we run our households, dress, give, etc. But also in the way we share Him with other people and our true motives. So many people, including myself, have been exposed to alot of false Christianity. I never want to come from a self-rightous stance because there is way to much evidence in my own life to prove hypocrisy. I think about Jesus and about how he was bold but gentle at the same time, as a servant, welcoming to everyone.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true. Represent the right way. I remember a specific day about 6 years ago when I was arguing with a friend of mine who is not a believer. I actually used cuss words to get my point across about how wrong he was when arguing about Jesus and why I believe! I thought I was representing my God but my heart was so twisted. It felt so right because I had to defend God but it all came across so wrong. I still have this heart minus cuss words. Let me represent God and take in foster kids but I will turn around and say ugly words about my loved one because I am annoyed and so not pure. But Pure Ugly.
ReplyDeleteI need major healing in this area as I am so not welcoming of everyone not on the inside anyway. I know for sure and have been convicted that I need some super heart cleansing. I have started to feel that when God speaks of the least of these that may be different for everyone. To someone the least of these may be a homeless child but to someone else the least of these may be a hated husband or annoying family member they refuse to love and welcome. God is so loving to me that he has brought me to a point in my life where I am surrounded by tests that constantly show the sin in my heart! I don't know how to explain it because it sounds crazy but I am excited that my unhumble heart is surfacing itself to me because I am seeing it finally! He is doing this for me because he loves me and he is getting me ready. Changing me, showing me myself and I need to empty so he can fill me! It's hard sometimes when the holy spirit opens our eyes to ourselves. I have a million and one judgments and ideas and am so emotionally controlled by people.
"...The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1Sam 16:7).
God will always see the inside. We have to glorify in both because people will right away see the outside. This might make it so that they won't even stick around long enough to get to the inside.
Please pray fo rme that my heart would absorb and learn the counsel that comes to me and I would just be washed away with the old ugly poisons of bitterness and wrong motives. God is calling me so loudly I can't hear other things as well. I want so much to have true true acts of selflessness.
I plan on getting baptized when this study is over a new clean surrendered heart!