From Here To There

Who Are We?

There are many challenges to the Christian life. Once you decide to become a Christian, I have always believed that you have elevated yourself to a higher, greater, level. Let’s be clear. I’m not saying that you are better than anyone else, it is just that, by being a Christian you have decided to behave better. It has to do with character. And character is being an example to others. I read somewhere that Character is how you behave when no one is looking (i). Not when you are in a group of people, around your friends, your employer, but when No One Is Looking. That is powerful stuff. When No One Is Looking. Think about that for a moment. Think about what a responsibility it places on all of us as Christians. If you are trying to live as a Christian, I think you accept the responsibility of Character and behavior willingly. Now, here is the rub. It is very, very hard to be what you want to be every day. Maybe you slip and say a naughty word in front of someone. Here the responsibility comes into play and I see it in other people who have presented themselves as Christians, who say and do things that I think may be a stretch for “Our Way of Behavior.” It can be tough living in the world we live in, trying to live a life that is set by a decidedly different set of rules.

Since I started reading my Bible and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I noticed things don’t bother me like they used to. I’ve always been a pretty easy going guy, but now it seems to be a specific part of my make-up to accept things as they are. I also have removed judgement from my way of thought. What people do is their own business. While I may not approve of what they do or say, it is not my role to place judgement on them. I only hope that some day they will find what I found in Christ and will try to do better. Most people are just kidding and messing around and that can be simple fun and games, but when it gets over the top, I try to mentally “turn the other cheek” and I will usually say a little prayer to remove whatever stress or anxiety is in their life at that moment and give it to Christ. 

That’s right. Give it to Christ. All of it. Whatever it is, He is there for you every single day through every single event. He knows you are trying and He is watching, so you know He knows what you do every day. And when you slip, His Word is in the Bible to help you get back
on track.

In Your Heart And Soul.

It’s tough isn’t it? I know that everything I have tried to fix in my life, I have been able to make extraordinary progress through Christ. I’m not doing it, He is. I can’t do it alone and neither can you. Remember that. You are not alone in your walk with Christ and your effort to improve your life is one you share together. There is still work to do. Which leads me to another thought. Accepting Christ in your heart, and accepting Christ in your soul. I think for a deeper, meaningful walk with Christ, two things have to happen. This is something I discovered in myself. I have accepted Christ in my heart, but have I accepted him in my soul? Where the very depths of my life rests? The soul is the most important place in your being and that is where, I think, you need Christ the most. If you are feeling a little “incomplete” in your relationship with Christ, maybe it is your soul that needs searching. This was it for me. I think for a complete, total surrender to Christ, I must accept Him in my soul exactly the same way I have accepted Him in my heart and mind. I know this because when the “things I’m working on” get the better of me, I think if I had Christ in my soul, it wouldn’t be an issue. The depth of our relationship with Christ is the issue. It always will be.

From Here To There. 

What do you believe? I saw a book once that asked this very simple question (ii). I thought about it and I was surprised I didn’t have an answer. Life’s easiest question, and I had no answer. I’m not talking about politics or being conservative or liberal. It is a deeper question than that. It is a question about depth (There’s that word “depth,” again) and it is based upon our very foundation. Our foundation. What is our meaning. What is our core. What matters to us. What do you think? But how many of us reach that deep? Or want to? I think once you start walking with Christ and reading your Bible, you will discover something very important about yourself. You will want to know more. You will want to know more about the things you don’t know. About yourself, your life, your head, you heart, your walk with Christ. And what makes it even more interesting is that it just keeps piling on. You’ll want to know more about more.  

And you may be wondering, What do I believe? I’m still searching. 

Endnotes and Recommended Reading: 

i. Every Book Its Reader, by Nicholas A. Basbanes, p. 256. Mr. Basbanes talks with Dr. Robert Coles, a Harvard University psychiatrist and author of sixty books, in the chapter titled, The Healing Art. This book is excellent and highly recommended.

ii. The book is Choosing Happiness: Short Answers to the Big Questions, by Stephanie Dowrick.