"Well, I'm A Christian!"

Once upon a time I worked where a lady was telling someone every day she was a Christian. Good old Elsie! A day never passed that I didn't hear her blurt out, "Well, I'm a Christian!"

Elsie and I were bombarded with bad language and disrepect constantly. Daily we overheard co-workers tell of the wild life they were living and heard their tales of the previous night. They really thought they were living, but didn't see that they were dying fast.

After a couple months of hearing this Jesus lover tell others three or four times a day, "Well, I'm a Christian!", I finally broke the news to her. You don't have to tell people you are a Christian. Being a Christian isn't telling others you are Christ-like. It is showing others.

You don't have to tell others or have a bumper sticker claiming you are a Christian. Just show God's love to everyone each day and they will know it. You can choose to go with society or with God, but you can't choose to go with society and God. You can't mix light and darkness.

You may be timid like I was. I wasn't as bold in my faith then as I am now. But there is something you can do if you are timid. You can consistantly be a good example to others. Consistantly being good is taking a stand for righteousness no matter what is going on in your life.

"Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light." Micah 7:8

Thinking back to the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. Joseph was tossed in a pit by his jealous brethren and sold into slavery. He rose to become second only in power to Pharaoh in all of Egypt. Joseph went from the pit to the palace because he always did what was right no matter what was going on with him.

Don't complain that you are the only Christ-follower at your work, in your neighborhood, or the only believer in your family. Don't look at it that God has stuck you out there all by yourself in Satan's sad, cruel world. O ye of little faith. Look at the faith God has put in you!

The Lord has commanded us in Isaiah 49:6, "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." King Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

God has trusted you to be among all the these non-believers. He wants you to spread the great news about him and to show his love to everyone. Bring the sheep to Jesus! Don't leave your job because you are the only Christian. Don't move out of your neighborhood, or give up on your family. If you leave, you will turn out the light.

"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." Romans 13:12

We do not belong to darkness, but are of the kindom of light. Share Christ's light or they may sleep in death. You can be Christ to many people. Let them see him in you!

Rick Hawbaker

Christ Follower

(Pictured above is a fisherman trying his luck in shallow Sprague Lake in RMNP, Colorado, USA.)