Q: My life is often at odds with my faith. I want to live like Jesus and when I get involved in the daily routine, I am anything but Christ-like. I want people to see the strength and joy the Lord gives me. Too often they see just another man claiming to be Christian and acting like the rest of humanity. I want the serenity of my trust in Jesus to come through, but I also don’t want to be a Pharisee posing for people. I have yet to come to terms with this dichotomy. Can you reconcile the issue or is this a common plight of all Christians? —Tom
A: Tom, you are putting words to a common experience of all Christians. None of us are completely “pure” in our faith. We all are in the process of becoming like Christ and continue to have moments and seasons where our faith falters and we fall back into living by our own resources.
It’s good that you don’t want to pose. That’s a sign that you want to be real rather than fake. It’s a sign that you want to grow. Religious posers, who Jesus took serious exception too (Matthew 23:13-27), don’t grow in their faith. They’re too proud and preoccupied in coming across as spiritual giants who say and do all the right things.
Posing to be more spiritual than we are stunts our spiritual growth and does not draw people to Jesus. Eventually, people see right through the posing and are put off by what they see is fake. Those, however, who humbly and honestly admit where their faith is—not where it could be—are the ones who are in a position to grow. These are people who can genuinely bear witness of God’s work in their lives. —Jeff Olson
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nivla on March 4, 2012 at 8:30 am
thanks Jeff. I share tom’s sentiments. Indeed it’s better to accept our current position in/with Christ than to boast the things we really are not.
And you’re correct we don’t have to stop there..,,, we have to GROW.. To become more Christlike, to be transformed from glory to glory. And that is one of the most exciting part of this journey we’re trudging. 🙂
mike wittmer on March 6, 2012 at 9:59 am
Tom: I don’t know if your situation is exactly like mine, so disregard this if it doesn’t apply. There was a time when I really wanted people to see Christ in me, but now as I look back on that, I think my attitude was a bit selfish. I now think that it’s better to focus on loving Jesus and loving others, and then what they see will naturally take care of itself. When I try too hard to have them see Jesus in me, it comes off a bit forced.