There is an old line that says, "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one anyday!"
So, what's your story? Everybody's got one! Some are more dramatic than others, but our lives are a story, and we are adding chapters everyday. As Christians, the story of our lives are more than just biography. Our life stories are the context for the good news of Jesus' love. Our friends and family will judge Christianity, for better or worse, by how it effects our words and our choices. While it is important to be able to present the Bible's truths about the meaning of life, the reason that Christ died and rose again, and about moral choices; it is even more important that those truths can be seen to have made a demonstrable difference in the way we live! That's one heavy responsibility, isn't it?
A changed life story does not happen because 'we get religion.' We've all seen people who were very religious who were also cruel, selfish, and mean! The Bible says, "Our only power and success come from God. He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, NLT) A changed life emerges when we are intimate with God, the Spirit! As we allow Him to have access to our hearts and minds, He changes the way we think and, as our thoughts are changed, the story line changes!
We are incapable of living in a way that honors Christ Jesus by our own determination or personal goodness. Indeed the reality of Christ's message is authenticated by the fact that He transforms people like you and me, ordinary mortals, into saints. The Bible says "...this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own." (2 Corinthians 4:7, NLT)
Walt Larimore writes, "The Bible never commands Christian to go witnessing, but we are told to be witnesses!" Think about that statement. The commission of Jesus to every Believer was that we tell the story of the love of God, but it is a mistaken notion to think that we just tell the story in moments or activities that are isolated from our daily lives. Going door to door handing out religious literature may make us feel like we're doing the work of evangelism, but the results will be meager! What is much, much more effective is living in a way that lets the Light shine, that captures the interest and attention of people around us because there is an undeniable spiritual quality that can only be attributed to Christ's Spirit in us.
Jesus said, "You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:14-16, NLT) How well does the Light shine from you?
__________________________
Father, what a privilege you have given to me;
A bearer of Light, a person who brings Your Presence to others.
Help me to live in a way that is worthy of this high calling!
Spirit of God, work in me -- Yes, work ON me!
Change my heart, defeat the power of self and evil, and
let the beauty of Jesus be seen in my words and actions.
As I write the story of my life, let it be the context for the
story of the good news about Jesus.
In His name I pray. Amen.
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