Will They Know We Are Christians?

I don’t know about you but for me it seems like it’s getting harder to focus on Jesus these days. Maybe it’s the season I’m in. Maybe it’s in the air we breathe. Or the “in your face” news feeds, television, social media outlets spewing opinions, vying for our attention.

There is so much deception everywhere. And hate. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed the hatred I’m seeing now. Hatred for each other. Hatred for a man. A party. A movement. Intolerance. There’s an underlying anger in words spoken. Attacks on a personal level as one side wants the other to understand. There’s a frustration when feelings aren’t validated. When words aren’t acknowledged and understood. 

All of these things pull my focus off of Jesus. But Jesus, He is always with me, calling me into a better place. The enemy of our souls knows this. So he does what he can to divide us.

If this were about the world, one could understand. But my friends, I’m speaking to the Church. God’s children. The Ecclesia, the "called out assembly" of the New Testament.

My mind often thinks back to a song from my younger days. The lyrics. 

*”And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

Under our current condition we can’t even recognize each other. I recently asked an acquaintance if she was a Christian. It wasn’t meant to be sarcasm. I really wanted to know because the words coming at me did not reflect love. I wanted to understand the hatred and anger which readily flowed from her lips.

The whole conversation stopped me in my tracks. How do I stand for my beliefs in a world that doesn’t agree with me? In a world that disagrees with me.

Only Jesus. 

Over the past several weeks I’ve taken a hard look at myself. I've asked myself, and the Lord, these questions in an attempt to keep my motives in check. What spirit do my words reflect? Is the enemy using me to provoke anger or healing? Am I reacting in fear? Do my words condemn? Do they uplift? How can I care and love the folks in my dear state better? How can I reflect Christ more?

After all it’s all about Him. Jesus. We must die to our desires and in so doing, we live for Him.

We are strangers in this world. Our home is in heaven with the King of kings. We have the greatest future as God’s children. As believers in Jesus, we are citizens of Heaven. 

Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble. But His promise is that we will overcome because He is victorious.

Church-we need to come together because our actions today create division. And when the Church is divided, we resemble the world. God calls us to be holy, set apart for Him.

Will you join me in returning to Him? Let’s seek His face. Let’s be obedient to Him alone. Let’s die to our selfish desires and live to serve Him.

I’m confident that He will show us how to do life in these trying times. 

Dear Jesus, I’m sorry for my part in causing dissension in your church. Help me to be an agent of change. Help me to represent you to a world that desperately needs You. 

Today and everyday may we celebrate You. For you gave your life for us and you rose up from the dead. Help us to see that your history is ours. May we choose to follow You. In your precious name, Jesus, we pray and surrender our hearts to You. Amen.