are we hypocrites?

I'm reading a book called "When the Game is Over it All Goes Back in the Box" by John Ortberg right now. All in all, it's a good book. And I've been enjoying reading it. There is one quote today that really seemed to jump off the page at me.

"The world gets pretty tired of people who have Christian bumper stickers on their cars, Christian fish signs on their trunks, Christian books on their shelves, Christian stations on their radio, Christian jewelry around their necks, Christian videos for their kids, and Christian magazines on their coffee tables but don't actually have the life of Jesus in their bones or the love of Jesus in their hearts."

I started thinking after I read that and realized, sadly, how true that can be. We claim to be followers of Christ, yet we don't do a very good job of actually living the way we are called to live.

I know I can often find myself claiming to be a follower of Christ and yet looking down on those around me rather than loving them with the love of Christ. I've really begun to notice this with where I work now. I claim to follow Christ and have His love in me . . . and yet, I look down on the guy who lives on the street and has an addiction problem who walks through the doors of the Gospel Mission. And, this is nothing new or strange to me wno that I work there. Yet, I do it still. And then, when I do have the time (take the time) to sit down and have a conversation with them I'm reminded that they too are human and need someone to love them.

In a world where it is so easy to claim to be Christian, I wonder if we have lost the importance of living the way that Christ has called us to live. We can put the Christian bumper sticker on our car and play the Christian music as we drive without worry about what the consequences may be for doing so. Yet, we're also the ones yelling at or swearing at the dirvers around us that do something that bothers us. What kind of a picture of Christ are we giving the world?

So much of the teaching in the New Testament focuses on how we are to live as followers of Christ. As I read Scripture, I wonder what we would look like to the world if we actually lived that way:

• What if we actually sought to serve others rather than be served ourselvse?
• What if we chose to love ALL PEOPLE - even those who the world would call our enemies?
• What if we gave generously out of what we have rather than just giving the minimum we can get away with?
• What if we willingly walked alongside and helped out those around us who are hurting and in need?

I think the world would see us very differently. And we would be finally giving the world an accurate picture of what the Body of Christ - the Church - looks like. The Church is not a building but a group of people sent out to change the world!

I just want to close with that quote from the book again for you to think about:
"The world gets pretty tired of people who have Christian bumper stickers on their cars, Christian fish signs on their trunks, Christian books on their shelves, Christian stations on their radio, Christian jewelry around their necks, Christian videos for their kids, and Christian magazines on their coffee tables but don't actually have the life of Jesus in their bones or the love of Jesus in their hearts."

your past does not define your future

I've heard that said many times, but the last time I heard it I started to think. It sounds nice . . . what has happened in my life doesn't define who I am in the future . . . but how true is it?

As I thought about it, three Bible people came to mind as examples of the truth of this. The first person being Paul. At one point in his life Paul had been persecuting Christians and trying to stop the spread of Christianity. But, this is also the same person who had an amazing encounter with God and had his entire life changed . . . this man who persecuted Christians became an evangelist and helped to spread the Gospel across the then-known world! Paul's past didn't stop him from what he did with his future.

The second person that I thought of was David - a person described as a man after God's own heart. David had some amazing triumphs in his life and saw his way through some difficult times with God's help . . . but he also had some major screw ups in his life. He committed adultery and then tried to cover it up and when that didn't work he had someone murdered . . . among other things. And yet, he is still remembered as a man after God's own heart and God used him and his decendants in amazing ways. David's past mistakes didn't stop him from what could be in store in his future.

The third person that came to mind was Rahab . . . a prostitute who ended up in Jesus' family tree. She had been living a life of sin, but yet she helped God's people and married an Israelite . . . ending up in Jesus' earthly family line! Her past didn't define her future either.

Being someone who tends to hold on to things that have happened in the past . . . particularily times when I screwed up . . . this was a good reminder to me that God can use everyone no matter what has happened in their past. I mean, I know from my own experience that God can take the situations where I've screwed up and use them to help someone else . . . and yet I still have those doubts that God can use me because of my past.

Now, I know that there are probably some of you who are thinking: "Yes, but what about the effects that past things you've done can have on your life?" Our actions do definitely have consequences that we have to live with in the future. Our past will always have an influence on who we are in the future, because our experiences shape us into the people that we are. But, we aren't held back or prevented from serving God because of our past mistakes. That's the good news here!

living out what Scripture says

I was reading Romans 12 the other day. As I read I started thinking about what the church would actually look like if we lived these things out. It goes back to the whole idea of authentic community, and how things would look if we were willing to live that way.

But, that wasn't where I stayed. I started thinking about my own life. Romans 12:9-21 contains some practical guidelines for living. As I started to think through each one, I started to realize that I have a long way to go in this area of being able to live and function in the kind of community that God created us for.

"Love must be sincere." (Rom 12:9)
Do I just pretend to love others? Or do I actually love people genuinely - not just because I'm supposed to?

"Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." (Rom 12:9)
Do I hate evil the way that God does? This isn't a hating of a person, but a hate for the evil that happens in this world. Do I cling to - do I desire - what is good?

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love." (Rom 12:10)
Do I love those around me as brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I willing to put in the effort required to love those around me?

"Honor one another above yourself." (Rom 12:10)
Do I put others before myself? Or do I place msyelf and my desires above those of others? Do I consider others to be more important?

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (Rom 12:11)
Do I serve God with my life?

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Rom 12:12)
Am I joyful because of the hope that I have? Am I patient when I am facing difficulties? Am I faithful in going to God in prayer?

"Share with God's people who are in need." (Rom 12:13)
Do I share with those in need willingly? Or do I share only grudging? Or do I not share with those in need at all?

"Practice hospitality." (Rom 12:13)
This is so much more than just entertaining people. It is caring for the needs of others through waht I have. Do I practice hospitality? Or do I look for ways to avoid doing so?

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." (Rom 12:15)
Do I feel the highs and lows of life with those who are a aprt of my life? Or do I just brush off those things and alow them to go through those times alone?

"Live in harmony with one another." (Rom 12:16)
Do I do my best to live my life at peace with those? Do I deal with conflicts and disagreements quickly? Or do I try to ignore them and hope that they will just go away if I ignore them?

"Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position." (Rom 12:16)
Am I so concerned wiht my own social stastus that there are people I won't associate with because of how I may look for doing so? Do I allow my pride to get in the way of my interactions with certain people?

"Do not be conceited." (Rom 12:16)
Am I conceited?

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil." (Rom 12:17)
Do I seek to get someone back when they wrong me?

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Rom 12:18)
Do I make every effort to make peace with everyone?

"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath." (Rom 12:19)
Do I spend my life seeking revenge on those who have wronged me? Or am I willing to leave that up to God?

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Rom 12:21)
Do I spend my time focusing on doing good in the midst of the evil that can happen around me? Or do I get caught up and overcome by the evil that will happen around me in this world?


As I thought through these questions, I realized that I have a long way to go in my own life in these areas. I know that I will always hav room for growth in these areas, while I live on this earth. This passage was really just challenging to me to think practically about how I lived my own life and where I needed to begin to make some changes. I hope that as you read the verses and questions above you were challenged in your lives as well.