We’ve all gone through the motions of being a Christian. For some of us, it is engraved into our very existence. We’ve grown up with being Christians. But have you ever asked how do we really be Christians? Why do we just go through the motions of sort of acting like God? How do we act like Christ and be his witness in an often ungodly world? How hard it is for all of us to be like Him when the world tells us not to be.  When we were kids we were most likely taught by our parents to play and speak nicely to other kids, as well as speak nicely to authority figures. We were also taught to obey our parents and not to swear. We were taught to listen well, be quiet and sit still in the church. Some of us may have enjoyed church and Sunday school. While others may have hated the idea of even getting up to go to church every single Sunday. We often had that feeling of not wanting to get up to go to church to hear God’s word. Our parents had to force most of us to go to church with them. When we were kids we really didn’t understand the lessons of the sermons that were being preached. We just sat there quietly, minded our own business as our parents wrote down notes about the sermon. Maybe we asked ourselves what does being a Christian really mean?

As we ventured forward into adolescence, and our teenage years, we thought even less of being Christian towards other people, and even within ourselves. We wanted to fit in with the “cool crowd” and make friends with the popular kids. That also meant doing the things that our parents told us not to do. Such as smoking, drinking while we were underage, skipping school, not doing or even caring about our homework. Rebelling maybe even meant trying drugs that our so-called friends passed around. We often risked getting into some serious trouble, not just with our parents alone, but with the police as well. We only wanted to fit in, not be Christian towards everyone we met. It was an extremely tough time to be a teen, nonetheless a Christian teen in those days and nowadays it’s even harder. The last thing we may have wanted to do is lead others to Christ.
When we became adults, we started to learn, retain and truly understand the importance of respecting one another and the others in authority around us. We also learned how to do our jobs well and speak nicer to others. We learned to take charge even more and learned to do what needed to be done all the time, whether we complain about it or not. We took care of ourselves, provided for our families and took charge at work.
The important thing to remember is that life is a constant learning process. If you’ve found yourself asking, what does it really mean to be a Christian, there are many ways you can find out. It doesn’t even matter what age you are, if you were raised in a Christian household your whole life or, you’re just starting to try and take your faith seriously. Whether you’re a kid, teen or an adult, or taking a step out in faith at age 70, you can always make faith a part of life. Even if you’ve fallen off the wayside throughout parts of your life, don’t worry. It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you’ve done. Anyone can have redemption through Jesus Christ.

But being like Christ is so much more than just being nice to authorities, our bosses and anyone we meet. Being called a Christian means we should literally be the hands and feet of our Savior, Jesus. Yes, that is an overwhelming aspect, nonetheless an enormous responsibility, to think about, but there is also no greater honor and privilege that we could ever have bestowed upon us. Most of us are probably still awestruck when we think that we should follow Jesus’ example in everything we say and do. We often ask ourselves how can we follow His example? Why us? How do we lead by example when we’ve gotten it all wrong at times? The answer is that God just wants us to try harder to be like Him. He knows that we aren’t perfect. If we are there for people in need, share meals with people who might be suffering the loss of a loved one, and we are there for our friends and family, and share encouragement throughout our daily lives, then we are living the life He wants us to live. Help others and be a light in their darkness. Be the person that tells them it is okay to feel down, but not to wallow in their sorrow for too long, because there is so much joy in life. Volunteer your time at church or at a homeless shelter. See the world through a new set of eyes and let God speak to your heart about how you can change the world and make it a better place by sharing His love.
It’s time we stopped going through the motions of being Christians and embraced being Christ’s followers with everything we have within us. Make a difference in the workplace, in your family life, and in your neighborhood. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. All it takes is one small step from you. Let God take care of the rest.