Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking.
Romans 12:2 (NCV)
The most perfect person with the most perfect character to ever walk on earth is Jesus, and we can trust that He is who He says He is because what He said, He did! The words He spoke were truth. Everything He said would happen to Him on earth, actually happened. Everything! There were hundreds and hundreds of witnesses. There were people who experienced His healing, His miracles. And everyone saw the real Jesus, because He never lied, He was not fake, and He did not pretend. He showed us a new way to live, a new way to think, and new way to love that was drastically different from what the world believed to be right. He spoke truth, and He gav…….e life, freedom, and hope to us all.
We don’t have to look very hard to find people who have negative views of Christians. We are often considered hypocritical and judgmental, because everyone knows people who claim to be believers but whose lives don’t line up with their claims. Many things in life are easy to fake, and many people are easily fooled. But the one thing we cannot fake is our character. Our character is the mental and moral qualities that we live by. And because we follow Jesus, the traits and qualities in us must be the traits and qualities of Jesus. Our character isn’t who we SAY we are; it’s who we REALLY are! It’s the words we speak, the things we do, and the attitudes that guide our life. The character of a true follower of Christ does the right thing regardless of who is watching…even if it means we end up standing alone.
Who do you say you are? Do your claims of being a follower of Christ line up with your words, your actions, and your attitudes? If your faith is genuine, it must be free of the negative stereotypes and full of Jesus! The great thing about your character is that it continues to grow and develop as you surrender to and live for Jesus. When you lay down who you are trying to be, and instead become who He created you to be, your character will become more like His. Invest in it! Invest your money in things that matter to Jesus, and invest your time in getting to know Him. Because of all the things you own on this earth, your character is the only one that will make it to heaven! Make sure it’s beautiful! You are loved!
But grow in spiritual strength and become better acquainted with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory…
2 Peter 3:18 (TLB)