Who Are you, Really?
Who are you?
Who do others say you are?
And most importantly, who does God say you are?
These are deep and powerful questions for us as Christians to explore. Who we are is who we choose to be. This is one of the few things we have control over in this life. This ability to choose is God's gift to us, and it is His will for us to choose Him, but He will not force that choice upon us, we have to be ready and willing. When we make this choice to serve Him, it needs to be a full-hearted dedication to letting Jesus use us to spread the truth of His love and all-sufficient grace. Once this choice is made, we must proverbially wear it in the open for all to see.
Take a moment and contemplate what your opinion of the following analogy means: "A Closet Christian." In my perspective, using "closet" to explain something that has been hidden from plain sight is sorely overused, so I want us to look at this from another perspective. I want us to view Christianity as a physically tangible cloak that we can wear for all to see. When considering this in such a manner, we can explore an often overlooked aspect of our walk as a Child of God. If our Christianity was visible to the fleshly realm for anyone we come in contact with to see, how would this change our actions? Would we leave it hanging in the closet, only wearing it out when it benefits us?
For some of our brothers and sisters in Christ, this would be a dream come true. The ability to leave their Christianity on a hanger in the closet and only wear it when it "suits" their wants, needs, or agendas. How much easier would this be for us overall, if we could slip it on and off depending on our surroundings or our circumstances? Just being bluntly honest, this is precisely what we do when Jesus isn't entirely the Lord over our lives.
Recently someone close to me told me the story of how an employee of theirs, someone that is supposed to be a devout Christian, had viciously attacked their integrity, their ability as a supervisor, and their very person as a fellow Christian. And all of this happened in what is supposed to be a Christian based entity of employment. I'm by no means condemning or judging this person because we all stray at times in our walk with Christ. This person seemingly decided to slip off and lay down their Christianity to show their real character and then conveniently picked it back up and slipped it back on, once it no longer conflicted with their actions. Is this who we want others to say we are, a "Closet Christian"?
All analogies aside, this is exactly how we do, we pick up our "cross" when it benefits us the most and lay it down when everything is going our way. Christianity is ultimately supposed to be an intimate two-way relationship with Jesus. If we truly live by this, we will live a life that is not only pleasing to God but will leave a lasting impression on all the people we ever come in contact with. Those with the knowledge of Jesus, without a shadow of a doubt, would know we are sold out believers in Christ, and those that have no experience with Him would be left with questions about what we have that they are lacking.
So cloak yourself in your relationship with Jesus and let His light shine through every aspect of your life, you may never know the impact this could have on someone you come in contact with. Ultimately at the end, who God says you are is the only thing that matters. I don't know about you, but I want to hear Him say well done my good and faithful servant.
I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God's blessing and God's curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:19 GNT)
Whoever doesn't carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27 CEB)
Who do others say you are?
And most importantly, who does God say you are?
These are deep and powerful questions for us as Christians to explore. Who we are is who we choose to be. This is one of the few things we have control over in this life. This ability to choose is God's gift to us, and it is His will for us to choose Him, but He will not force that choice upon us, we have to be ready and willing. When we make this choice to serve Him, it needs to be a full-hearted dedication to letting Jesus use us to spread the truth of His love and all-sufficient grace. Once this choice is made, we must proverbially wear it in the open for all to see.
Take a moment and contemplate what your opinion of the following analogy means: "A Closet Christian." In my perspective, using "closet" to explain something that has been hidden from plain sight is sorely overused, so I want us to look at this from another perspective. I want us to view Christianity as a physically tangible cloak that we can wear for all to see. When considering this in such a manner, we can explore an often overlooked aspect of our walk as a Child of God. If our Christianity was visible to the fleshly realm for anyone we come in contact with to see, how would this change our actions? Would we leave it hanging in the closet, only wearing it out when it benefits us?
For some of our brothers and sisters in Christ, this would be a dream come true. The ability to leave their Christianity on a hanger in the closet and only wear it when it "suits" their wants, needs, or agendas. How much easier would this be for us overall, if we could slip it on and off depending on our surroundings or our circumstances? Just being bluntly honest, this is precisely what we do when Jesus isn't entirely the Lord over our lives.
Recently someone close to me told me the story of how an employee of theirs, someone that is supposed to be a devout Christian, had viciously attacked their integrity, their ability as a supervisor, and their very person as a fellow Christian. And all of this happened in what is supposed to be a Christian based entity of employment. I'm by no means condemning or judging this person because we all stray at times in our walk with Christ. This person seemingly decided to slip off and lay down their Christianity to show their real character and then conveniently picked it back up and slipped it back on, once it no longer conflicted with their actions. Is this who we want others to say we are, a "Closet Christian"?
All analogies aside, this is exactly how we do, we pick up our "cross" when it benefits us the most and lay it down when everything is going our way. Christianity is ultimately supposed to be an intimate two-way relationship with Jesus. If we truly live by this, we will live a life that is not only pleasing to God but will leave a lasting impression on all the people we ever come in contact with. Those with the knowledge of Jesus, without a shadow of a doubt, would know we are sold out believers in Christ, and those that have no experience with Him would be left with questions about what we have that they are lacking.
So cloak yourself in your relationship with Jesus and let His light shine through every aspect of your life, you may never know the impact this could have on someone you come in contact with. Ultimately at the end, who God says you are is the only thing that matters. I don't know about you, but I want to hear Him say well done my good and faithful servant.
I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God's blessing and God's curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:19 GNT)
Whoever doesn't carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27 CEB)
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