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WHAT DO THEY REALLY SEE?
(Real Talk)
By
Evangelist Garlena L. Hines
“Let your light so shine before men that
they may see your good work and glorify the
Father which is in Heaven.”
Matthew
5:16
Some years ago I was at
a restaurant and ran into an old friend.
She had three young kids with her, of which
there was a set of twins. She instructed
the kids to sit quietly while she went to
the buffet to get food. While she was away
the children were playing with the
salt/pepper shakers, throwing water at each
other, climbing across the chairs, under the
table and totally disrupting the
environment. When she returned she was a
little upset by their behavior wondering why
they were acting so unruly. I watched as
she tried to bring them together but they
continued this behavior as if this was their
normal behavior. I soon realized that these
kids must exhibit this same behavior in
their home. It was at this point that it
was brought to her attention how
embarrassing it is. That day I thought as a
Christian what do people really see when
they see me? Do they see Christ or is He
someone I speak about but not really
reverence? I saw how embarrassed the mother
was as she tirelessly tried to get her
children to sit down and obey her
instructions. I wonder how many believers
are in that same boat. Being taught what to
do, but yet not doing it. Knowing the word
of God, BUT not exhibiting the
characteristics of Christ. If an unbeliever
had to examine our Christian walk, would
they be compelled to come to Christ or repel
the idea of Christianity?
The scripture says,
“Let your
light so shine before men”.
As believers we all have a responsibility to
exhibit the characteristics of Christ.
Through His word is where we find our
strength, guidance and direction for His
will in our lives. As I minister, I often
hear opinions such as
“Christians
are hypocrites”, “church folk
are phony”, or
“I don’t want to be a
Christian because they are boring.”
Many of these opinions are derived from the
person’s encounter with a Christian whose
light was not shining. When the scripture
says “let your light shine” the word “let”
means to release. The light that’s shining
is the power of God that’s within us;
therefore, the scripture is saying release
the power of God within you. If we are not
spending quality time with God by studying
His word and praying then our light will not
be evident in the presence of others. Many
people will never attend a church service or
read the bible, but they will watch your
life. As believers we should take notice of
the light that we are showing others. Let’s
look at some ways our lights can be seen:
·
Speech:
“Nor should
there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse
joking, which are out of place, but rather
thanksgiving.”
(Eph 5:4) No one loves a good riddle/joke
more than I do. But as believers we have to
know how far to go with the joke and the
language we use when telling the joke. Many
times we can get caught up in what seems to
be harmless joking and if we’re not careful
it can be a hindrance to those who are not
saved. I was affiliated with a pastor who
was fluent in profanity. I warned him of
the danger of it and how offensive it was.
Because he felt there was nothing wrong with
this vulgarity and he made excuses for it,
he actually used one of those eight letter
words during his sermon. I will never
forget the look on the faces of his
congregation. Believers, be careful that
what comes out of your mouth does not have a
negative effect on your witness.
·
Love Walk:
“Love must be
sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what
is good.”
(Rom. 12:9) When we have the
characteristics of Christ, His love will
permeate through us and others will see our
light. The scripture says love must be
sincere, meaning without conditions or
underlying motives. While we may not have
the opportunity to speak directly with some
unbelievers, many will recognize Christ by
the way we treat them. It’s through His
love that we learn to see them through the
eyes of Christ. It’s through His love that
we learn to treat each other with God’s
patience and love. Can your light be seen
through your love walk? Are you treating
people the way God desires for you to treat
them? Are you walking in love at all
costs?
·
Obedience: “If
you are willing and obedient, you will eat
the best from the land.”
(Isa. 1:19) Obedience is always the key to
receiving God’s blessings. Whenever we
disobey, regardless of the magnitude of the
act, we must understand that it opens the
door for disobedience in other areas of our
lives. Many times our light becomes dim
because of the disobedience we exhibit
around others. If you are in a group, on a
job or in your church, your desire should be
to set the example that others will see
Christ in you. When unbelievers see us
respond to situations in a worldly manner
that doesn’t give them hope if we as
Christians can’t obey. How many times have
you disobeyed because of your belief about a
certain situation? Who was hindered by your
act of disobedience?
·
Commitment:
“So then,
those who suffer according to God’s will
should commit themselves to their faithful
Creator and continue to do good.”
(I Pet. 4:19) Commitment to your
relationship with God is a daily task. As
believers we must understand that many in
our family, neighborhoods and our jobs are
watching us. Regardless of what we’re
facing we should continue to be faithful to
God and do what’s right according to the
word of God. Our commitment to God should
never be predicated on any event or person
but because of His love for us and our
reverence for Him. Are you only committed
when things are going good? How brightly is
your light shining as you commit yourself to
God?
There are other areas
we could discuss, but the heart of this
article is that there are too many believers
misrepresenting the Kingdom of God and
unbelievers are not eager to join the
sonship of Jesus Christ. Instead of selling
out to God and allowing His spirit to dwell
that our light may shine, many use excuses
for their behavior. Once you know the word,
God expects you to adhere to it. We should
understand that our lifestyles can either
compel people to Christ or repel them from
Christ. What example are you setting? When
people see you do they see Christ or do they
just see Him in you on Sunday? Is your
conversation pleasing to God? I am not
saying you have to preach all day, but are
you sharing good news or spreading gossip?
Do people on your job respect you as a
believer or do they just look at you as
someone who attends church? People of God,
we have to mature spiritually if we expect
to win the world to Christ. We have to stop
making excuses for our carnality or lack of
spiritual growth. God has chosen to use us
to build His Kingdom. What do people really
see when they see you?
Let’s pray:
Father,
Thank you for choosing
us in spite of our faults, failures and
disappointments. God we count it an honor
to represent Your kingdom in such a way that
the lost would be compelled to know You and
develop a relationship with You. God
forgive us for misrepresenting your
kingdom. Forgive us for not ministering to
the lost when the opportunity presented
itself. God show us how to let our light
shine in a world that’s full of darkness.
Give us the strength, the endurance and love
to minister to those who have no hope. For
it’s in You we find our joy, peace and
happiness. God, anoint us afresh for your
service as we let our lights shine. In
Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. |
