"Then I said,'Here I am, I have come--
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is written on my heart.
I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly.
I do not seal my lips,
as you know, O Lord
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly."
--Psalm 40:7-10
The first part of the verse reminds me of another verse in Corinthians:
"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."
--2 Corinthians 3:2-3
We all struggle with certain things. I think one of the biggest struggles as a Christian is living as though God's law were, "written on" your heart. It isn't easy. How easy is it to live and portray yourself as the rest of the world does in order to be accepted. No one wants to stand out in a way that others often perceive as negative. And, sadly, that's the way people see Christians. We're hypocritical, we're goody-too-shoes, we're no fun, we're sticks in the mud, unwilling to do anything. And so, a lot of us cave under that pressure and forgo the way we know we should act in favor of a fleeting moment. We've all done it, somewhere, some time. I'll admit it. I have. It's just too easy to do. The struggle, the hard part comes when I choose to act differently. I know I should be living with God's law written on my heart. It's how I should feel, a very core part of my being. So why don't I always live that way? And then comes the verse from Corinthians. "You yourselves are our letter....known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ..." Uh oh. I'm supposed to be the example of Christ to others. How well am I doing with that? Am I living like I have Christ's words inscribed upon my heart, or do I live like I am working for my own goals and benefits? I am told, quite clearly, that I am a light to others who are in the darkness. So why would I hide that light to become another one of the lost?
And then, the next portion of the passage speaks of being bold before others. I do not seal my lips, it says, I do not hide your righteousness. I think I'm being told something here. Here's a couple of verses that came to me when I thought of this:
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes."
--Romans 1:16a
"That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
---2 Timothy 1:16
Hm, see the verse references. Coincidence? I like when that happens.
The first verse tells me why I should not be ashamed. The second verse acknowledges that it won't be easy, but that there is a purpose to the trials that come with proclaiming and living a Christ-like life. We cannot be ashamed. We cannot hide this word written on our hearts, not on tablets of stone, we cannot deny this great love and the righteousness that is here. How can I conceal such amazing love, such truth and righteousness? How can I refuse to share that with others? This is what I should be thinking next time I want to hide behind anonymity. I want people to go, "there's something different about her, something I can't tell, but that is definitely not like the rest of the crowd. What is it? I know she's a Christian, but that couldn't be it, could it? Maybe I should ask her about it." I want my life to be a testament, as I am instructed to be an open letter to the population. I don't want my life to be recognized as just another hypocritical Christian. I am not ashamed of my God, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it holds such hope, and our broken world needs to hear that. There is more to life than empty promises. There is more to life than heartbreak and pain. There is more to life than a meaningless pursuit of pleasure. I am seeking His face, and I am not ashamed. I am not ashamed to live for Him.
So tomorrow, when I am faced with others who see the world differently than I do, how will I react? Will I stay strong, or will I be swayed? I am God's letter, His love letter, written to everyone. So what am I going to do to show the world that?
I am not ashamed.
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I think people would be more inclined to being more open to Christians if they did see that side of us though, the side that isn't a "goodie two shoes" and the side that is hypocritical, because it shows we're human too.
ReplyDeleteI feel like people who get weird or bad vibes from the Christians they've met are feeling that way a lot in part because they feel inferior at times. I mean I'm a Christian, and I still feel that way around more "hardcore" types. It can be a little unnerving, and I think seeing a Christian who embraces their flaws, and "caves" on occasion, makes me see them for the honest person they can truly be.
I don't think that's where you were going with this, but just a few thoughts to throw in there. I find it hard to walk the way God would like at times, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a lot of Christians who didn't.