“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:” Colossians 2:6
So far, 2020 will be quite a year to remember. There have been lots of disturbing things that have happened. We have witnessed a group of government officials try to destroy our President; we have seen injustices against various groups of people; we have faced a worldwide epidemic that has shutdown countries around the globe, and we have watched our economy plummet and unemployment drop to rates not seen since the Great Depression.
This is not the only time in history when circumstances were difficult to endure. Times were hard in ancient Israel during the first century. Roman soldiers routinely patrolled the streets of Jerusalem enforcing the oppressive laws of the empire upon the Jewish people. There were hostile groups of Jews who rebelled against the authorities, and there were religious leaders whose hypocrisy drove wedges in the population. It was during this volatile time that Jesus lived.
When He began His ministry, He told his disciples, “Follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) He didn’t say “Walk with me.” He said, “Follow me.” To follow Christ means to walk in His footsteps. Paul further explains our role as Christians in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” We are to live as Jesus lived as described in the Bible, and like us, He also lived during some precarious times. Israel was under the control of Caesar Augusutus, and I can only imagine what social media posts would have said about the tyranny of Roman occupation and the heinous acts of the Jewish rulers. Yet through these times, Jesus always spoke about loving His enemies. Even when He was hanging on the cross, He reached out in love and asked His Father to forgive those who were responsible for crucifying Him.
As Christians, we are called to reflect Christ in everything we say and do. One hostile post on social media can ruin a testimony for Jesus. This doesn’t mean we cannot speak out against social injustices, abortion, governmental corruption, or indecencies, but we must do so out of love, not hatred. Our words can still honor God just as the words of Christ honored His Father in everything He said. Our actions can still bring glory to the Lord just as Jesus’ life brought glory and honor to God continually.
This world is dominated by sin, and the only cure for that is Jesus. The only way we can point others to Christ in this uncertain time is to be vastly different that the world, so that when people look at us, they see Him. While the population spews words of hate and fear, our voices must reverberate with love and hope. When people see a culture of chaos and precariousness, we must offer stability and peace through Jesus Christ. While the world uses words that cause decisiveness and anger, we must speak with words that calm and soothe the troubled soul.
This is what Jesus meant when He said, “Follow me.” We cannot claim to follow Christ and then imitate the ways of the world at the same time. We must be careful to walk only in the footsteps of Jesus in both word and deed. Then, and only then, can we truly show the world “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
If not in you, I wonder where
Will they ever see the One Who really cares.
If not from you, how will they find
There’s One Who heals the broken heart, gives sight to the blind.
And if not you, I wonder who
Will show them love and love alone can make things new.
If not from you, how will they learn
There’s One Who trades their hopelessness for joy in return.
‘Cause you’re the only Jesus some will ever see.
And you’re the only words of life some will ever read.
So let them see in you the One in Whom is all they’ll ever need.
‘Cause you’re the only Jesus some will ever see.
(from “You’re the Only Jesus” by Gordon Jensen)
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” 1 Peter 2:21
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If you want to take a stand, take one for Christ!