it is not easy LIVING the life of a Christian....
Ghandi (NOT a Christian) said that he admired this man they called Christ - but he did not really like those who called themselves Christians...
Being Christian is easy. All you have to do is believe in God and His son Christ. No problem.
In the world today, there are millions who profess Christianity. They either have been born into "Christianhood" through their parents or they have grown up not knowing anything else. Many of those millions would even tell you that they not only believe in the being Christ, they would defend their Christianity to the bitter end!
These are all admirable aspects of professing Christianity. And I would not for one moment wish to deny the importance of this in one's life of faith.
There are also many different ways of practising Christianity. There are those I prefer calling fundamentalists - they interpret the bible in a mostly literal way. The bible says a tooth for a tooth than that is what is expected. You steal, you are condemned.
Then there are the liberalists - those who see the bible simply as a broad guide to life, providing the basic principles but not really placing any restrictions on the way we should live. So everything is allowed as long as you continue believing in Christ!
Well, as the good book says, judge not lest ye be judged! So without wanting to judge the way other Christians live their faith and without judging the way others live their lives, I believe that the true Christian is the one that LIVES the way Christ dictated. But, what does that really mean? Well, I think we need to explore this more and dig a bit deeper.
Let's start with just one of the concepts Christ professed - love. In fact, not only did he profess this, he made it an absolute tenet of existence! He told his apostles: Love one another as he had loved them. This on top of the tenet of God: love God and love your neighbour.....
Now, dear Christian, ask yourself: Do I love every single person I meet every day of my life? Do I love the beggar who asks me for something to help him through the day? Or do I dismiss him as just another irritation in my busy day? Do I love the irritating colleague who invades my space at work every bloody moment she/he gets? Do I love the driver who cuts into the lane in front of me when I am in a hurry? Do I love the idiot who steals my parking? Or the screaming child in the supermarket or in church?
I could go on with these examples but I think the point is made.....
I do not judge you for NOT always loving these. In fact, I don't get this right most of the time. But I do know this is what I must strive for. This I believe is what it means to be a Christian....
There many other expectations Christ has for us. Would you like to comment on these.....?