Is There Evidence Against Me?

            This past Sunday we had a guest pastor speak at our church. He said some things that have stuck with me all week. (And I hope will stick with me forever) He talked about the origin of the word Christian, and what that word means. (see Acts 11:19-30) He also talked about what that looks like in a person’s life. He said that if we are believers (Christians) then we should be Christ-imitators. I’ve heard this many times before, I’ve read about it in God’s Word and I’ve tried to live out a life that imitates Christ’s. More times than not, I fail. The good news is that God keeps picking me up and giving me another chance to get it right, by His grace and by the power of His Spirit. Our guest speaker explained that as Christ imitators, others will be able to see evidence that we belong to Jesus and that we will be accused of looking like Him.

            All week I have been asking myself if there is evidence against me in regards to this. Do I look like Jesus? Do I show others “Jesus with skin on” as one of my friends used to say? Is there sufficient evidence against me to convict me of being a Christ follower? It is my deepest desire that this is true in my life. I so long to be different and to act like Christ. When I leave this world for the next, I sincerely pray that I leave a legacy that shows that I lived my life for Christ and a life that I pointed others to Him and reflected His glory. I pray that others will see the fingerprints of God all over me.

            Our guest speaker mentioned a few evidences or characteristics of someone who is a Christ-imitator. He said that Christians who are genuine Christ followers are “going, growing and giving”. This made me think. In fact, I cannot stop thinking about it. What do I really look like? Who do I resemble? Am I “going”? Am I sharing the good news of Christ with those I love and those I meet on a daily basis? Do my words and actions display the Fruit of the Spirit? (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control?) Or, do people see more of me and less of Christ? Am I using my time on this earth to share the love of Jesus? Is my gaze set on eternity or on what I can gain here on earth? Am I self-focused or do I give everything I have for the sake of others and for the work of God?

            Additionally, am I growing? Do I start my days searching God’s Word, talking to Him in prayer and listening for His quiet Spirit to speak to me and lead me? Am I allowing His Word to change me? I can tell you without a doubt that when I start my days out in His Word and when I continue to practice being in His Presence all day long, I am a totally different person. His Word is the only thing that can change me. His Word in me makes me a better person. It teaches me about love and forgiveness and more than that, I get to know God more, and the more I know Him, the more I love Him! That is a very good thing!! It is the most important thing. I never want to stop learning about Him. I never want to stop studying His Word. Every time I open it, I discover something new or something old in a new way! It is amazing! His Word is absolutely the Bread of Life! I hunger for this Bread. I want to be filled up with it!

            Finally, am I giving? My husband and I love to bless others. We try to give a lot of what we have away. We love to feed others, open our home to others, love on others, adopt others, spend time with others, and to help others in any way that we can when we are able to. We look for opportunities to bless others. It blesses us to bless others. Sometimes because of financial restraints or because of my health issues, we are not able to do all that we’d like to do, but we do all we can and God keeps providing. He is so giving. We can never out-give Him! There is one thing that we can always do no matter what is going on, we can pray. I love to pray for others and it means so much when someone else is praying for us. Giving has many faces. It is not always financial giving or even physical giving. It is often just a prayer, or a hug, or just listening and being there for someone. Am I giving? Or do I grow tired of giving? Do I give with the right motives or do I give hoping to get something in return or to receive a pat on the back? I need to examine my motives regularly to make sure that I am seeking only to please my Heavenly Father. I want to live a life that is spent giving for my Lord. He gave His life for me and for you. I give back out of gratitude for this and out of love for Him. He loved us first. Now we can love Him back by going, growing and giving. He does not force us into this. We do it because we love Him.

            So, in closing, if I were put on trial today, would there be enough evidence to convict me of being a Christ-imitator? Oh, how I pray that the answer is yes. I know the truth is that most days I do not get this right. But, praise God, He keeps giving me new days to do better. He keeps teaching me how to live and to walk in a way that honors Him and that reflects His glory. I feel an urgency in my gut today as I write. I so deeply desire to look more like Christ and less like the fleshly Terry. I so want to show others what His love looks like. It’s the only way they will see it, through us, His followers. Please pray with me today, that I will look more and more like Him. Please pray that I will stay in His Word and learn to live out what it says. I don’t know about you, but I need some help with this. I need encouragers alongside me, reminding me to look and act more like Him. I need people to help pick me up when I mess up and to love me back to His gracious arms. And, I need to do that for others as well. Let’s all encourage one another and build each other up in the faith so that we all begin to look more like Jesus. God bless you and thank you so much for reading. It encourages me greatly to know that others read and are encouraged.

 

 

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;  and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." Ephesians 5:1-2

 

 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11

 “ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:4-6

 “ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:1-3

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” I Thessalonians 2:16-17

  “ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

All Scripture taken from the New International Version