Fairly often I get into religious conversations with people and end up asking them what their faith background is. Most recently, I was talking to a guy at work and he told me that he was a Christians and then he went on to describe some of his theological beliefs. I was a little surprised because I would not have guessed he was a Christian.
Lots of people are like this...when asked, they claim Christianity, but their behavior and speech don't reflect it; they aren't working the way God intends them to...in other words, they aren't properly functioning Christians.
I'm not perfect myself (not by a long shot) and began to wonder if my behavior and speech outwardly reflect Christ. When I started to contemplate this, I realized something...how can I know what behavior reflects Christ without knowing how Christ behaved. How can we act like Christians without knowing how the Bible says Christians ought to act. Many of us don't regularly read the Bible and for that reason, we don't get reminded about what it says. We end up slowly being changed by the world rather than being changed by the word. In the passage below, James tells us we should do what the Bible says; but in order to do what it says we have to know what it says; we have to read it. It really is that simple
I'm not perfect myself (not by a long shot) and began to wonder if my behavior and speech outwardly reflect Christ. When I started to contemplate this, I realized something...how can I know what behavior reflects Christ without knowing how Christ behaved. How can we act like Christians without knowing how the Bible says Christians ought to act. Many of us don't regularly read the Bible and for that reason, we don't get reminded about what it says. We end up slowly being changed by the world rather than being changed by the word. In the passage below, James tells us we should do what the Bible says; but in order to do what it says we have to know what it says; we have to read it. It really is that simple
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25Are you reading the Bible regularly?
If not, do you think you should be?
If you do think it is important, what steps can you take to help make it a goal and part of your regular routine?
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