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[FONT=\"Times]In today's society you hear the word Christian used pretty often, to represent someone or something perhaps a group, organization, or school, but how many really understand and live out the Christian life. I want to share what being a Christian means to me. I don't claim to be perfect, holy, or righteous, within myself, I have never done anything worthy to be made righteous or attained righteousness myself. I was born a sinner like all mankind, in need of a Savior. I am not perfect but thank you Jesus I am perfectly forgiven, because of what He has done. I have been made righteous by what He has done, not anything that I've done, but because His righteousness covers me.
For me being a Christian isn't a groupie thing, or some excuse to sin pleasing to myself, using Jesus as a crutch to get away with whatever I please. It isn't an excuse just to get to heaven, or to make me look good in front of others, it isn't a religion but a relationship. For me being a Christian is first and foremost dying to self, to be raised up with Christ. It is dying to my sinful nature and being filled with God's nature, so that I may become more and more like Christ. It is turning away from evil, wrong, worldly lusts, taking up my cross, and following Jesus daily. For me being a Christian means always growing deeper in my relationship with God.
Christianity means Christ centered, and if Jesus is not the foundation and center of your life, the first and greatest, then what kind of Christian are we? Today Christianity has become labeled a religion and many live it as a religion, following the traditions, trying to live up to certain standards and it has become a performance, a daily ritual, rather then a relationship. Instead of a deep spiritual relationship, it's be good, follow the golden rule, go to church, love your enemies, do right, do this, do that, no wonder so many people feel they fall short, and can't measure up.
You can't live the Christian life on your own, our strength is not enough, we will always fall short if we try to measure up to what we think a Christian is suppose to be. Being a Christian is about letting go, and letting God, moving over, and letting God move in. It's about surrendering to God, and letting God be real in and through your life. You will never have that peace, or that hope, that joy, a Christian experiences until you let go, and let God. We are unable to save ourselves much less change ourselves, it has to be God, we may be able to change some things, but only God can change our true nature, to a nature like His.
Religion will never save you, and it will leave you empty, dead inside, and can even turn you into a religious hypocrite. The Pharisees, thought they were righteous, holy, but all they had was religion, they had no real relationship with God, they could teach and preach God's word, they could point out the flaws in everyone else's life, they could look the part and sound the part, but they didn't have the heart.
Being a Christian is all about love, its loving God, and loving people. I see so often so many times people claiming to be Christian but they lack love. Jesus said the greatest two commandments was first to love God with all that you are, and second to love others, that everything was summed up in these two. Loving God, loving others is an act of selflessness; it's not about taking, but always giving yourself, offering yourself freely as a blessing.
It's about being a blessing, not looking inwardly, being selfish, but looking on the needs of others, and encouraging, praying, caring for their needs. It's about being a friend to others, treating others with kindness, and compassion, being humble, not exalting yourself, boasting or bragging, but lifting up others, building them up in Christ. It's not being critical, judgmental, condemning of others, full of anger, or hatred, but being filled with God's love and compassion towards each other, forgiving one another and loving one another. It's not about living to please yourself, but living a life that pleases God, a life of humility, and sacrifice.
It's about learning, growing, maturing spiritually everyday. It's about increasing in wisdom, wisdom isn't how much you know, that is knowledge, wisdom is taking God's word and applying daily in your life. You can know the bible from cover to cover, but all that knowledge means nothing until is applied in your life. The wise man not only studies God's word, but lives by every word of it. The wise will learn from the godly and increase in wisdom, but the foolish will continue in their own ways. Following Christ is wise, but following the world is foolishness. This world has nothing to offer you, it will only lead you down crooked paths that lead to addictions, suffering, you name it.
We Christians are in this world but not of it, we were once like the rest of the world, but now we are sit apart, called out, chosen by God. Why then would we return to the world and its ways, why go back to bondage when we have been freed from it? Why put on those old chains, drag those same weights, when you can live in peace, and have joy, and experience hope. We can't let the world influence us, we are salt and light we are to be an influence to the world. What kind of Christians are we if we all conform to the world, most certainly ineffective Christians. Being a Christian is about being fruitful, letting others see Jesus in and through your life.
We have to learn to be sensitive to God's Spirit, so that He may lead us, and guide us. We have to learn to listen and hear His voice, so that we won't be misled, or go astray, that He may help us make the right choices, and receive the right instruction from God. The Holy Spirit is the one who helps us to live this Christian life, who enables us, who comforts us, and strengthens us so that we can live the Christian life and experience life more abundantly. Being a Christian isn't about a bunch of rules, or trying to be perfect in our own power and strength, it's about just yielding ourselves to God and having that real relationship with Him, and letting God help us to live out this life as He desires us to.
Being a Christian is about being real, genuine, and the only way we can do that is by letting Christ be real in us and through us. We may make mistakes in this life, we may face temptations, trials, and tests, we may go through suffering, were not exempt from those things, neither was Jesus. We have this promise though Jesus is with us, and He will never leave us or forsake us. We have that assurance He has been there to; He has experienced this life, He knows what were going through and has promised to be there for us always. We have each other also, and as Christians we need to be there for each other, because we were never meant to walk alone, God created us to be a family.
Sadly a lot of Christians treat each other, and other people as outsiders. They reject each other, and other people, they make them feel like outcast, and that's not how were supposed to be. We are to be humble towards each other, and other people. We are a family, but not all Christians act like a family, unless it's a dysfunctional one, and that is sad. I value my Christian friends, and other people, because God has taught me to see their worth to Him. God has taught me to see others through His eyes and not my own, we so often see what we want to see, but God sees much deeper within. God sees our potential, He sees all that we can be, He sees all that He poured into us, He sees each and every person as someone who was worth dying for, because He loves them , no matter who they are, where they been, or are now. He knows where they are, what they have done, but He still loves them right where they are, and so should we.
I am not the perfect Christian, I'm not the strongest either, I am no super Christian, but I have learned what it truly means to be a Christian. What hurts is when people think they know you, but they don't. Too often people try to judge a book by its cover before reading the story, they tend also to do the same thing with people. God has saved me from a lot, brought me through a lot, taught me a lot, and I'm still learning, growing and maturing like all the rest. If people really got to know each other, to learn to see others through God's eyes, they would experience a real difference.
I have a past like the rest of mankind, but with God I have a future and that is what matters the most. It's not who we were, what we have done, where we came from, but it's who we are now, who were becoming, and how were living this life. As a Christian it is not our place to judge, it is our place to encourage, teach, pray, care for, love others and hope for the best. We are all equal, none of us are greater or lesser then another, so we need not compare ourselves with each other. We all are different, God made us each unique, but we are all called to the same family, for the same purpose to love and serve our God. We may have different gifts, talents, skills, abilities, each given a different task by God, but we are still called to be one family, with one purpose, and that will always be to love God and to serve Him.
If people got to know me, they would find I am a very friendly person. I love people, I enjoy helping others, I enjoy making others laugh and smile. My goal, my hope in life is this, is to be a blessing to as many people as I can, to live a life that pleases God, to love God with all that I am, and to love others. In the end when it's all said and done, it's not about how successful we were, how far we went in this life, or all that we accomplished. It's about how much we loved God and how we lived our lives for Him and how much we loved others and lived to be a blessing. Without love life is meaningless, and without love all the good deeds in the world mean nothing. Our words and actions are empty and hollow, they are but vanity without love.
When this life is over, I want to hear those words well done good and faithful servant. I want my life to bring a smile to Jesus. I want to see those lives that touched my life, and made a difference in my life, and those lives that I somehow touched and made a difference in theirs. To me the greatest blessing next to seeing, being with Jesus in eternity will be to see my family in heaven and that includes every person that's there, that has touched my life, that my life has touched and every other soul there within. We are a family, some of us here on earth, some in heaven, but one day we will all be united together, and that is a day I am looking forward to, living for, and hoping for. To me this is what it means to be a Christian.
Please know I am not here to debate or point fingers. I am sure if you try you can find flaws in my words, but I am here to fellowship, to be with family, the body of Christ. I just want to be a blessing, and enjoy the blessing of others here. I am not a scholar or theologian, I am simply a follower of Christ, who wishes to walk and share in the love of God. So please forgive me for being simple. I claim no denomination, or religion, my only claim is Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life. Without Him I am nothing, and apart from Him I can do nothing, for He is the reason I live and breathe today. God Bless everyone.
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For me being a Christian isn't a groupie thing, or some excuse to sin pleasing to myself, using Jesus as a crutch to get away with whatever I please. It isn't an excuse just to get to heaven, or to make me look good in front of others, it isn't a religion but a relationship. For me being a Christian is first and foremost dying to self, to be raised up with Christ. It is dying to my sinful nature and being filled with God's nature, so that I may become more and more like Christ. It is turning away from evil, wrong, worldly lusts, taking up my cross, and following Jesus daily. For me being a Christian means always growing deeper in my relationship with God.
Christianity means Christ centered, and if Jesus is not the foundation and center of your life, the first and greatest, then what kind of Christian are we? Today Christianity has become labeled a religion and many live it as a religion, following the traditions, trying to live up to certain standards and it has become a performance, a daily ritual, rather then a relationship. Instead of a deep spiritual relationship, it's be good, follow the golden rule, go to church, love your enemies, do right, do this, do that, no wonder so many people feel they fall short, and can't measure up.
You can't live the Christian life on your own, our strength is not enough, we will always fall short if we try to measure up to what we think a Christian is suppose to be. Being a Christian is about letting go, and letting God, moving over, and letting God move in. It's about surrendering to God, and letting God be real in and through your life. You will never have that peace, or that hope, that joy, a Christian experiences until you let go, and let God. We are unable to save ourselves much less change ourselves, it has to be God, we may be able to change some things, but only God can change our true nature, to a nature like His.
Religion will never save you, and it will leave you empty, dead inside, and can even turn you into a religious hypocrite. The Pharisees, thought they were righteous, holy, but all they had was religion, they had no real relationship with God, they could teach and preach God's word, they could point out the flaws in everyone else's life, they could look the part and sound the part, but they didn't have the heart.
Being a Christian is all about love, its loving God, and loving people. I see so often so many times people claiming to be Christian but they lack love. Jesus said the greatest two commandments was first to love God with all that you are, and second to love others, that everything was summed up in these two. Loving God, loving others is an act of selflessness; it's not about taking, but always giving yourself, offering yourself freely as a blessing.
It's about being a blessing, not looking inwardly, being selfish, but looking on the needs of others, and encouraging, praying, caring for their needs. It's about being a friend to others, treating others with kindness, and compassion, being humble, not exalting yourself, boasting or bragging, but lifting up others, building them up in Christ. It's not being critical, judgmental, condemning of others, full of anger, or hatred, but being filled with God's love and compassion towards each other, forgiving one another and loving one another. It's not about living to please yourself, but living a life that pleases God, a life of humility, and sacrifice.
It's about learning, growing, maturing spiritually everyday. It's about increasing in wisdom, wisdom isn't how much you know, that is knowledge, wisdom is taking God's word and applying daily in your life. You can know the bible from cover to cover, but all that knowledge means nothing until is applied in your life. The wise man not only studies God's word, but lives by every word of it. The wise will learn from the godly and increase in wisdom, but the foolish will continue in their own ways. Following Christ is wise, but following the world is foolishness. This world has nothing to offer you, it will only lead you down crooked paths that lead to addictions, suffering, you name it.
We Christians are in this world but not of it, we were once like the rest of the world, but now we are sit apart, called out, chosen by God. Why then would we return to the world and its ways, why go back to bondage when we have been freed from it? Why put on those old chains, drag those same weights, when you can live in peace, and have joy, and experience hope. We can't let the world influence us, we are salt and light we are to be an influence to the world. What kind of Christians are we if we all conform to the world, most certainly ineffective Christians. Being a Christian is about being fruitful, letting others see Jesus in and through your life.
We have to learn to be sensitive to God's Spirit, so that He may lead us, and guide us. We have to learn to listen and hear His voice, so that we won't be misled, or go astray, that He may help us make the right choices, and receive the right instruction from God. The Holy Spirit is the one who helps us to live this Christian life, who enables us, who comforts us, and strengthens us so that we can live the Christian life and experience life more abundantly. Being a Christian isn't about a bunch of rules, or trying to be perfect in our own power and strength, it's about just yielding ourselves to God and having that real relationship with Him, and letting God help us to live out this life as He desires us to.
Being a Christian is about being real, genuine, and the only way we can do that is by letting Christ be real in us and through us. We may make mistakes in this life, we may face temptations, trials, and tests, we may go through suffering, were not exempt from those things, neither was Jesus. We have this promise though Jesus is with us, and He will never leave us or forsake us. We have that assurance He has been there to; He has experienced this life, He knows what were going through and has promised to be there for us always. We have each other also, and as Christians we need to be there for each other, because we were never meant to walk alone, God created us to be a family.
Sadly a lot of Christians treat each other, and other people as outsiders. They reject each other, and other people, they make them feel like outcast, and that's not how were supposed to be. We are to be humble towards each other, and other people. We are a family, but not all Christians act like a family, unless it's a dysfunctional one, and that is sad. I value my Christian friends, and other people, because God has taught me to see their worth to Him. God has taught me to see others through His eyes and not my own, we so often see what we want to see, but God sees much deeper within. God sees our potential, He sees all that we can be, He sees all that He poured into us, He sees each and every person as someone who was worth dying for, because He loves them , no matter who they are, where they been, or are now. He knows where they are, what they have done, but He still loves them right where they are, and so should we.
I am not the perfect Christian, I'm not the strongest either, I am no super Christian, but I have learned what it truly means to be a Christian. What hurts is when people think they know you, but they don't. Too often people try to judge a book by its cover before reading the story, they tend also to do the same thing with people. God has saved me from a lot, brought me through a lot, taught me a lot, and I'm still learning, growing and maturing like all the rest. If people really got to know each other, to learn to see others through God's eyes, they would experience a real difference.
I have a past like the rest of mankind, but with God I have a future and that is what matters the most. It's not who we were, what we have done, where we came from, but it's who we are now, who were becoming, and how were living this life. As a Christian it is not our place to judge, it is our place to encourage, teach, pray, care for, love others and hope for the best. We are all equal, none of us are greater or lesser then another, so we need not compare ourselves with each other. We all are different, God made us each unique, but we are all called to the same family, for the same purpose to love and serve our God. We may have different gifts, talents, skills, abilities, each given a different task by God, but we are still called to be one family, with one purpose, and that will always be to love God and to serve Him.
If people got to know me, they would find I am a very friendly person. I love people, I enjoy helping others, I enjoy making others laugh and smile. My goal, my hope in life is this, is to be a blessing to as many people as I can, to live a life that pleases God, to love God with all that I am, and to love others. In the end when it's all said and done, it's not about how successful we were, how far we went in this life, or all that we accomplished. It's about how much we loved God and how we lived our lives for Him and how much we loved others and lived to be a blessing. Without love life is meaningless, and without love all the good deeds in the world mean nothing. Our words and actions are empty and hollow, they are but vanity without love.
When this life is over, I want to hear those words well done good and faithful servant. I want my life to bring a smile to Jesus. I want to see those lives that touched my life, and made a difference in my life, and those lives that I somehow touched and made a difference in theirs. To me the greatest blessing next to seeing, being with Jesus in eternity will be to see my family in heaven and that includes every person that's there, that has touched my life, that my life has touched and every other soul there within. We are a family, some of us here on earth, some in heaven, but one day we will all be united together, and that is a day I am looking forward to, living for, and hoping for. To me this is what it means to be a Christian.
Please know I am not here to debate or point fingers. I am sure if you try you can find flaws in my words, but I am here to fellowship, to be with family, the body of Christ. I just want to be a blessing, and enjoy the blessing of others here. I am not a scholar or theologian, I am simply a follower of Christ, who wishes to walk and share in the love of God. So please forgive me for being simple. I claim no denomination, or religion, my only claim is Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life. Without Him I am nothing, and apart from Him I can do nothing, for He is the reason I live and breathe today. God Bless everyone.
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