try this for one week
what would it take for others to recognize that God is real in your life? for many years I thought it would happen if I…
- wore Christian t-shirts
- had Christian bumper stickers
- played my Christian music real loud
- always quoted Bible verses
- went to every event the church offered
- went out “witnessing” to others
don’t get me wrong, those can be good things. but the reality of God in my life is much more than just whatI present to others outwardly.when God chose to show thereality of Himself to us, He did so throughshowing grace to us. He favored us when we didn’t deserve it. He loved us when we were unlovely. He gave whenall we had done was take.
the reality of God came to usthrough relationship.
relationship that He initiated in sacrifice, love, and grace.
what He calls us to be and do with others is the same. relate. relate to other with grace. show them by your sacrifice, grace, and love that God is real in you.
if we can’t relate to others with forgiveness, compassion, grace, mercy then the outward actions of going to church and displaying our faith will be of little substance.
the message of the New Testament calls us to show grace with such extravagance in our actions that it causes others to notice something is very different about us. we don’t have to “publicize” our faith, because the reality of it in our relationships already speaks so loudly about God in us.
try this…
for one week, don’t say anything to anyone about your faith. don’t use words, t-shirts, orbumper stickers to announce who you are. instead for live with such extravagant grace for others that it causes them to wonder what makes you so different.
overwhelm your spouse with grace. cause your children to wonder what happened to you. make your friends curious. live it in such away at work that others are the ones bringing up faith in the workplace.
but have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor Him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answeranyone who asks you to explain the hope that you have in you… 1 Peter 3:15
if we do this, we just might be getting somewhere.
