There is a line in a very secular song from Eminem that says, “I am whatever you say I am, if I wasn’t, then why would I say I am?” Have you ever stopped to contemplate whether or not, from a Christian perspective, you are who you say you are?
Weekly, I participate in a women’s small group study. One thing that is always stressed in our group is “identifying as Christian.” There is definitely a perception of what being a Christian is all about. Once a person proclaims they are Christian, the pressure is on to walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk.
Most of us would say we are compassionate, caring, kind. Some of us may not be that generous in our reflection of ourselves. We might say we are prideful, disobedient, etc. However, do whatever words used to describe you match your everyday actions?
That is a good question that many Christians do not stop to ask themselves. Being the lone Christian is not easy. Whether it is on the job, at home, in one’s family; being Christian among those who are not is tough. But, it is a task that we are called to perform in order to win others to Christ. In Acts 22:8-16, Paul talks about how the Lord revealed himself and called him to be changed. He further speaks of how Jesus sent a man named Ananias to witness to him (in Jesus’ name). Paul’s received the light and that moment Paul was commanded to be baptized in the name of Jesus and witness to all others about the goodness of Jesus Christ.
How many of us have shared our story with someone? How many of us have taken off the cloak of Christianity to reveal our light to someone caught in the darkness of sin? Admittedly, one of the things I struggled with when beginning to write for Everyday Christian was not the material I would come up with, but sharing my story of how Christ changed my life in my bio. Sadly, before writing that bio I do not recall ever sharing the story of how Jesus changed my life with anyone.
If we really are redeemed and called by God, then he calls us to witness and share who we say we are: Christians and sinners who have been saved by his divine grace.
This is concerning because so many of us are complacent in just being Christian and not sharing the good news. We are not reaching others. We are getting up everyday and trying desperately to “walk-the-walk” but without bearing any witness to our faith.
An example of someone who is reaching as he is walking is Tony Dungy. If you follow sports, then you know he has been mentoring Michael Vick and even helped broker a deal for him to play in the NFL again. Tony Dungy is a man of faith. And, he is not content to just be a man of faith, but actually put works behind his belief in Christ. We could all learn something from his actions and move closer to being more of who we say we are in Christ.
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