I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5 KJV
As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord
A topic that has been on my mind lately is Christianity and what does that really mean. It seems that some believe that just by saying "I'm a Christian" that somehow makes them one and they don't actually have to "do" anything. Then again, on the other hand, there are those that seem to believe that all you have to do is try to live a good life and be nice to others. They think that their efforts to "be good" is all that is required and the rest of their lives is theirs to live however they see fit. My view is quite different though.
I believe being a Christian is not something you do, but rather something you are. Its a lifestyle not a solitary choice. When you pray to God asking for forgiveness, it is only the beginning of a life long commitment. A commitment to God to live life his way.... by his rules! It is not enough to simply say a few words or do a good deed or two.
When I married my husband I made a commitment to him. I commited to love and honor him, to stay with him no matter what and keep myself only for him. That is very different from just dating. When I was dating , it was easy to just break up with someone if I saw fit. If I didn't want to deal with something I didn't have to, after all, its not like I was stuck with them!
When I became a Christian there was another "wedding" of sorts. I commited myself to God. To love Him and honor Him, never to forsake him and to keep myself only unto Him and turn from all other "gods". Can you imagine how my marriage would be right now had I said those vows yet continued to date around? How solid would my relationship with Chris be if I just left at the first sign of trouble and never looked back? Just putting a ring on my finger doesn't make me any more "married" then carrying a Bible makes some a "Christian"! If my life doesn't back up what I claim to be then those words were all in vain and they are empty.
"Christian" is not a label I stick to my shirt and wear around. It's not something I show off when the time is right to gain approval from people or sound good. Its something that I am. It is a one word summary of how I live my life, what my views are, and what kind of person I am. What God says is wrong, I believe is wrong. What God says to avoid, I make every effort to avoid. And when God says stay away....I stay away! That is how I show my commitment to Him.
The term Christian means to be Christ-like, yet how can I claim to be like him if I don't take the time to get to know him and what he is all about? How many people throw up a bumper sticker or wear a t-shirt and yet have never even attended a church service or turn the radio to a different station when that preacher comes on? How many of these same people will say a prayer at a holiday meal, yet at that same meal will sit around and bad mouth others and gossip? How many of these people will read a trashy romance novel or watch some kind of horror flick yet won't pick up their Bible or sit for one hour in a church service? To these very people, I seem weird. They don't understand why I am not more like them. Well the last time I looked the term was "christ like" not "world like"!
So to summarize what I am saying, to me being a Christian is who I have become. Not just another label to throw in with wife, mother, daughter, sister and so on. I pray for those I care about often. When others hurt so do I. When I see a need that I can fulfill I am always looking for a way to try to fill it. As much as I want myself to be happy, I want those around me to be happy even more! I have a great many blessings in my life and there are so many other people that I see that I would love to give them what I have because they too would be so happy if I could.
God has given me so much love that I can't possibly keep it to myself...if I don't share it with others I think I may explode!! Some have been offended by the fact that I talk about my faith alot. I have a MySpace page and on there I try to make sure that it is very well known that I am a Christian. Why do I do this?? For two reasons, one- because that is the core of who I am. Secondly- My profile is not set to private like some others are, so my page is open for all to see. Last I saw my 'page views' count was over 2,000! That being the case, if there are so many people looking at my profile, I want them to know right up from what I stand for. Then if they decide they want to add me as a friend there will be no surprises. I suppose there is a third reason too. In the Bible it says that if we are ashamed of God and his message then we will not be acknowledged as one of His children and will not be able to spend eternity with him, this is my way of saying I AM NOT ASHAMED!