A reflection of Him

I frequently see people debate with one another about religion: what is real, where is the evidence, who is right? Things can get heated pretty quickly and sometimes become downright nasty. I become dismayed whenever I see that it is a Christian who is being the most hateful toward others that do not share his/her views. Are they not aware that whatever we do in His name reflects directly upon Him in the eyes of others? As Christians, it is our responsibility to represent our Savior accurately by allowing Him to shine through us in all we do and say.

Though I am a Christian, I was not always one. Before I was led to Christ and chose to walk in His light, I had many people who would argue and debate and push their beliefs on me. You know what that did? It pushed me further away from Him. I might very well have found Him sooner had it not been for everyone trying to tell me that my life was wrong, my choices were wrong, I was going to Hell, etc. When you meet people who believe they are lost, they feel as though something is missing and they are seeking, by all means surround them with His Word. Consider this… Did Jesus force any of His followers into believing in Him? No, He simply allowed them to see who He was and they chose to follow Him. Did His disciples badger others into believing in Him? Nope. They told their stories and answered questions and then left it at that. Why? Because they knew that Jesus would show them who He is. They had faith in His ability and presence. That being said, if someone seems pretty content with his/her life and has no desire whatsoever to change it, forcing this on him/her will likely push him/her further away from Him. That is not your goal so recognize what you are doing and act accordingly. Sometimes we need only to put the idea or information out there, allow it to sink into their thoughts and step back to pray for them and ask Jesus to do His work in their life and show them who He is. Step back and give them the chance to follow that path in their own time. If they still choose not to believe or follow, that is on them. We cannot MAKE anyone believe.

I recently saw a video between two comedians that were discussing the existence of God, one an atheist and the other a Christian, and were debating their respective beliefs amicably (see, people? It can be done!). The Christian comedian, John Fugelsang, was talking about how Jesus is often represented by His followers (listen up, fellow Christians, that would be us…) versus who/what He really was/is. Fugelsang said something funny that I thought was a pretty accurate depiction of how many (I said many, not all) modern day Christians approach non-believers. This is something all Christians (myself included) should keep in mind when we are reaching out to others on His behalf…

“I have come to view Jesus the way I view Elvis; I love the guy, but a lot of the fan clubs really freak me out…. God is too hip to be a member in His own unauthorized fan clubs… Remember when that guy shot President Reagan to impress Jodie Foster? I don’t blame Jodie Foster for what her crazy fans do so I’m not gonna blame Jesus for what his crazy fans do.” – John Fugelsang