Well, I haven’t been asked that yet. But it gives me thoughts. Am I prepared with my answer when they ask me why I still stay in the faith I have? If I do, can I play a role in someone’s life if I speak well of the God I believe in?
I wondered about how others would answer it, so I found several of them:
* family upbringing
* experience of a real Christian community
* personal impact after learning the Christian story of the world- and to himself
* personal encounter of God’s gracious offering of love
* changed perspective of the reality of God’s existence
We can look back and check the points in this list to see what fully convinced us to decide to be a Christ-follower. Then, we answer this question: “Do we still live in the spirit of the faith we hold in?”
It makes me think: Are we still doing that until today? Have our actions and decisions been influenced because of this kind of heart every single day? I write this to remind ourselves of what sums us up as Christians. And here are three points.
1. I received and accepted God's invitation.
I understand I need Jesus to forgive my sins and to rescue me from eternal punishment. When He does this, I'm friends with Him again. I can spend eternity with Him in heaven. I have a new life in Him. I have a sure hope in Him.
He gave me this gift out of love and generosity. I don't deserve it, but I'm thankful. I now follow Him because He holds my life's steering wheel.
2. I'm committed to transformation by Him.
The Bible is my life manual. It helps me live the way He wants me to live. And I’m aware that I’m still bound to my sinful nature. I need to stop sinning consciously. So I ask help from the Holy Spirit to teach me and free me from myself.
I can lean on Him. And through Him, I always learn new things every day. I don’t consider myself perfect. I make mistakes, but I can correct them. And I always keep this pace because I'm growing with Him. I do this until I’m the person that I’m made to be.
I can lean on Him. And through Him, I always learn new things every day. I don’t consider myself perfect. I make mistakes, but I can correct them. And I always keep this pace because I'm growing with Him. I do this until I’m the person that I’m made to be.
3. I'm His representative on Earth.
I understand that it’s what a Christian is about. I act, speak, and behave like Jesus. He’s a perfect example of love and kindness. When I do this, I can lead them to the God who loves them just as He loves me. I can be a light to them.
Who am I to judge when I’m created imperfect like everyone else? I can bring out my authenticity to help them stand on their feet and find their way to Him. And when He restores them, it’s when I know that I accomplished my mission here.
So how's my soul going to be like from these? It's firmly grounded in these essentials. My spirit's roots are strongly connected. I can't drift to any wind or current that makes me lose my touch in Him.
My dependence is on Him. I can go through anything with a fighting spirit. I push myself to win every battle I face. Through these, I embody a life change that's different from the rest. I can strongly testify to others with this kind of life.
I know it's not easy, but we can't give up. We need to fulfill the call given to us. So we should finish strong and succeed in it.
And it doesn’t have to be drudging. With God on our side, we can press on further. We can learn to go through difficult situations instead of avoiding them or finding an easy way out. We can seek help and support when needed.
Imagine if we can create a story of perseverance, character, and hope to the people today while raising our banner high and proud. Would we be continuing the Christian story built and established by those who came before us?
In these times, I don’t want to see Christianity as outdated and irrelevant. I don’t want to disappoint those who started the work of the faith. I don’t want to see it killed slowly until its death, due to us showing one or all of the worst parts of ourselves that shun us from others. Given life's all-time difficulties, I still believe in its lasting power to change people's lives forever once they grab it.
It’s my hope and prayer that we're prepared and confident to speak out our lives rooted in His Word and ignited by His power that lives in us.
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