It occurred to me today that while I call myself a Christian, and I speak of the resurrection of Jesus as a settled fact within the framework of my beliefs...do I live differently today because of that?
For the most part; yes...but no. Do I do life in such a way that people are drawn to Christ? I can speak about Christ, but how many people come up to me and say you have qualities and aspects about your life that I want to have, what's your secret?
The answer? No one. At least not anyone in my "regular" life. I realize that I live a very meager existence as a Christian. I live on the fringes of joy, clinging desperately to little shreds of hope. Instead of living confident in the completed work of Christ on the cross.
This is not all bad, in the sense that no one lives the "life" perfectly. And that I have years to grow and learn more about Christ and how to relate to him in an ever deepening and more personal way. But I also have to realize the part that past sins (and some current ones) play in undermining the hope and confidence that God desires for His children to have.
So what do I do with this knowledge? I need to find concrete ways to put it in practice. How I respond to people at work is the only way that they know me...and my brusque responses are not winning me any popularity contests. I have look at how I view my current struggles, and I am defeated and forlorn, or should I seek to be more encouraged by God's persistence with me.
I was reminded this weekend that my internal beliefs have little value unless they become external attitudes and actions that bring honor and glory to Christ's name. I saw a commercial that indicated "....apparently execution does account for something". Also in James, it talks about faith without deeds being dead, so action (for me) is the working out of what I know into the realm of what I do.
But I need to be really careful, lest what I do become a smoke-screen for what I don't know.
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