A writer in Upper Room asked the question: Would you act differently if you had the sign of a Christian on your body? Perhaps some would. A true Christian tries to act as a disciple of Christ. People should be able to see the Spirit of God in what we say and do.
Our pastor said “I would prefer to be known as a Follower of Christ”. Many people call themselves Christians but do not live as Christ bids. They may go to church, but the rest of their time is spent in pursuing worldly interests. This is the easiest course since there are so many beckoning things. They are always in our face. The media constantly displays interesting things. Many are worthwhile as entertainment or information, but a full diet of them is a diversion from pursuing a Godly life. The worst of them could actually pervert good intentions, and tempt us to sin in thought or deed. A follower of Christ will spend time in prayer each day and often praise the Lord for His suffering on the cross to give us salvation. They will be thankful for knowing Him and will seek His desires for their lives. They will pray for help in pointing others to Jesus, and keep His Sabbath holy (Isaiah 58:1-14).
There is no such thing as road rage in their mind as they respect other drivers. They hold no grudges and have forgiven every person they ever thought had harmed them. They praise God for “ordinary blessings” such as their health, for being able to see and hear each day, and are most thankful for His love. They have no agenda for their life except to please God and to carry out their daily tasks and their life work with His help. They know that God is with them always so they fear nothing of evil. They have peace by knowing where they will spend eternity. No matter what stress might otherwise overwhelm them, they feel secure in the hands of Christ.
Do you believe in Angels? (Matthew 1:20-23). Angels are spiritual beings created by God who help with His work on earth. They can be with us at any time when needed. There are also bad angels who were thrown out of Heaven with Satan. We should cast the devil and his angels from our life sternly. Christians should tell others about the beauty of Heaven, but also warn them about the horror of hell. Unless we choose to follow Jesus, we will not be in Heaven (Matthew 25:37-45, John 14:6).
Some Christians expect to live a life without pain or suffering. God does not promise this and when problems occur, they blame God. Christ only promises to give us strength to bear life’s calamities. This is a great blessing as otherwise we might not have the perseverance to carry on. You may remember the song “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall,but too much has fallen in mine”. If this is your song, your fervent prayer should bring relief. If your request is in line with God’s wishes, and you truly believe it will be granted, you should expect it to be fulfilled. But help may come in an unexpected way. Being human, we don’t focus on God’s great blessings all the time. We have to remind ourselves that the Holy Spirit is with us and will help with all problems. What a blessing to know Christ and to depend on Him for guidance in this life; and then to have eternal joy with God. He beckons us to take advantage of all He has done for us. A follower of Christ knows that there is no downside when we pledge our lives to Him. We will live knowing our eternal blessings.
I have not seen the Glory of God on the face of any devout follower of Christ. But without this, we still know them by what they do and how they act. Even though few wear the sign of a Christian, even a cross, we can recognize them by what they say. We hope they recognize the same in us.