Life’s Like This — In an ideal environment, all our relationships would draw us closer to the Lord. However, we live in a fallen world with sinful people. God wants us to influence those who aren’t walking obediently with Him, but unless we’re careful, we could easily end up following them. Being a faithful Christian is a challenge for even the most devoted man or woman of God. But for those of us that are weak in our faith, who lack the spiritual countenance to weather the storms of life, our faith and witness to others can be sorely tested and we can easily find ourselves following the footsteps of those that have not yet come to know Christ. As much as we may want to reflect Christ-like behavior and attitudes toward others, unless we take on the armor of God to shield us from the sinfulness of the world, we will fail in our Christian walk and our ability to influence those that God calls us to lead to Him.
The Christian walk carries with it an awesome responsibility because we are essentially ambassadors of Christ. If we fail to reflect the character of Christ to non-christians, then we may lose the opportunity to provide them with the spiritual guidance that can lead them to have a relationship with Him. For us, as Christians, to be effective witnesses, we need to assure that our relationship with God is grounded in His Word and that we actively seek to live out our faith in all that we say and do. When there is a weak link in our bond of faith, the forces of satan will attack and attempt to destroy, not only our relationship with Christ, but the relationships of those we are attempting to lead to Him. We need to also be alert to the temptations they are facing, for the same temptations, if we are not careful, can cause us to falter in our personal walk. When we are spiritually weak the poison of sin can taint the message of Christ we are trying to convey, but in that weakness, the importance of living your life for Him is revealed. In reality, the more faithful we are in our walk with Christ, the more active satan will be in attempting to destroy the very fabric of our faith and our relationship with God.
As Christians, we are called to share our faith. Reaching out to non-christians in a spirit of love and humility is essential to touching their hearts with the love of God. If we come across as overly pious and self-righteous then we run the risk of doing more harm than good in being an ambassador for Christ. Yet, there should be an inner joy and outward reflection of God’s love in our hearts so that those we are attempting to lead to Christ can see the fruit of Christian love. God does not want us to be luke-warm Christians. How well we are able to share our faith and influence someone to come to know Christ, is directly related to our personal relationship with our Lord. We cannot be effective ambassador’s for Christ when we are caught up in a cesspool of sin and self-deception. Sooner or later, the truth of our personal walk will be revealed and those whom we have witnessed to may question, not only our faith, but also the truth of God’s Word. For this reason, it is imperative that we examine our hearts and ask ourselves if we truly know Christ, if we are truly attempting to embrace His character, and if our outward behavior and thoughts are in tune with God’s Word. If we find ourselves spiritually deficient, then it behooves us to get right with God, to arm ourselves with the sword of truth and righteousness, and to turn from ways that court the sins of the world. For only then can we be faithful and true witnesses of God’s Word.
Life's Like This 