But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
Let’s face it, those of us who know Christ, are in the business of marketing Christ. That may sound awful, but we, as representatives of Christ, want to share this gift of salvation to a world that is lost. Our motive should not be for a monetary gain, but a response to the grace and love given freely to us.
Today, more than ever, people have learned skepticism. We have been programmed to be on guard to the lies of scams, telephone swindlers, and false advertising. So how exactly do we share Jesus, when everyone has this unseen radar shield surrounding them?
The Bible refers to God as truth, not the verb truth, but the noun, truth. So the first thing we need to do is tap into that truth. We cannot sell Christ with false promises. We cannot say that when someone accepts Jesus into their life, that everything will be wonderful and great. We know that Christians suffer injustice and pain, just like everyone else. We must be honest.
The Bible refers to God as love. If we want to show what Christ is like, then we must show love, not the kind of love that picks and chooses whom to love, but love of all people, even our enemies. When we have a heart of love which includes mercy, and forgiveness, people can see that.
The Bible refers to God as light. Do we shed the light by drawing others into it, or do we feel the need to blast the light in people’s eyes. If we are busy shining our light on our own path, letting God clear our own debris, people will automatically see a difference in our path, and theirs. A moth is drawn to the light. If we set by example, not forcing our doctrine down the throats of others, people will see the light. They will be drawn to it.
The Bible says that we should do what the word says to do, not only in words, but in deeds. We need to act in the way that Christ acted. We can’t only read the word, and say with our mouth that we know the Lord, living a life contradictory to this, and expect good results of our witness.
In Luke 8:21 Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” We need to ask ourselves, “Are we only readers and sayers of the word, or are we those who live Christ?” We must keep our eyes focused on Jesus at all times, so that we do not sink into the waves of self. It’s not only what we say that counts, but what we do.
Dear Father, Help me to not only say, “I am a Christian,” but to act like a Christian. In The Name of Jesus I pray, Amen
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