THINK ABOUT IT

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Living Consistently

An honest man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing -- stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

            The tailgating woman hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection.

            As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

            After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door.

She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

            He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. "I noticed the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."

             I really like the above story. It reminds me that although I may forget, other people notice when I claim to be a Christian and don’t live that way. And this shames Jesus. When I wear a cross necklace or a “Christian T-Shirt” or drive with a “fish” on my bumper- I am proclaiming Jesus. When I go to church every week, I go to Bible studies or I attend church camp, people notice. And they notice when I DON’T live differently.

            Once I was walking down the street, and I came across a young boy. Since we were headed in the same direction we began walking together and talking about football and sports and next the weather. After walking for a few blocks together the kid used a swear word and immediately apologized for it. I had never seen the boy before in my life and I wasn’t wearing anything that said “Christian” on it. I was just a college aged guy walking down the street in a large college town. The only way I can figure he knew I was a Christian was that he noticed that I wasn’t swearing myself. My “bumper sticker” was my lifestyle.

            The truth is, each of us come in contact with lots of people each day. And whether or not we realize it; they see our bumper stickers and wonder if we really mean what wear. So what about you? Are you walking what you talk? Are you living for God all the time or just some of the time? May we never shame Jesus by saying one thing and doing something else.

Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.

His... Daryl Miller