How do you live your Christian faith?

If you were captured and put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict?  I think that’s how the question goes.  In other words, does your faith go beyond Sunday service or morning prayer? I struggle with this.

I go on a silent retreat every year.  The retreat goes from Thursday afternoon to Sunday.  Of course, who couldn’t live their faith during a 4 day silent retreat?  So much prayer and meditation; so many blessings.  No distractions.  It’s seems miraculous!!  I leave there on FIRE for Christ; on FIRE for my faith.  I have a plan (approved by God Himself during our quiet time together) and there’s absolutely nothing that can deter me.  This year is going to be different!!  I guess you see where this is going.  :)

It doesn’t take long for life to get in the way of my plan (God’s plan, of course).  I get discouraged and eventually lose some of that fire I left the retreat with.  But I know God is there with me, patiently waiting for me to follow through, to be faithful.  Thanks be to God!  God provides the situations, the people, the trials, the opportunities for me to live out His plan for my life.  I just have to be docile to the Holy Spirit’s promptings.

But back to the original question.  How do you live your Christian faith?  Nearly 2,000 years after Christ’s death and resurrection, how can we live our faith in everyday life?

How can we live like Jesus lived?  How can we bring Christ to others?  It’s all laid out for us in the Gospels.  Love, charity, compassion, forgiveness, faith, sacrifice.  How many times a day do you have the opportunity to practice these virtues?  Sometimes it seems unreasonable that we would be expected to live such a virtuous life in this day.  I mean really, I can forgive my children, but you want me to forgive a murderer?  Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, why do I need to sacrifice?  I have no problem being charitable with my family and friends, but with the annoying neighbor?  We must turn to the gospels and other new testament books.

Search "love" on biblegateway.com.  I got 234 results in the New Testament.  Not surprisingly, the first is 1 Corinthians 13 The Excellence of Love.  When you work to build Christ's Kingdom, are you acting with love?  Are your intentions pure?  If I am turning people away from Christ, I am probably not acting with love.  BUT acting with love does not mean conforming or staying quiet when truth is in question.  Love " 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;"

Forgiveness!  God sacrificed His only son that we might be forgiven and saved.  We probably won't be asked to sacrifice a loved one, but we are expected to forgive and ask for forgiveness.  " Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven'" Matthew 18:21-22.  If you are struggling with forgiveness, I suggest you read "Left to Tell" by Immaculee Ilibagiza,  Immaculee truly lives her faith through forgiveness, love, and charity.  

Hebrews 11 - The Triumphs of Faith - Here we get a synopsis of the many examples of supernatural faith throughout the bible.  We can fret all day long about how difficult it is in "today's world" to keep the faith; but honestly, it was no easier for them.  Many did not live here on earth to see God's promise become a reality.  Their reward is in heaven.  And best of all:  "39 And all these, having [y]gained approval through their faith, did not receive[z]what was promised, 40 because God had [aa]provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect."  God has BETTER plans for us than we have for ourselves!

I think most of us could do a better job reflecting Christ in our everyday lives. Be charitable, forgive, don't judge.  Stay close to Christ through prayer and reflect on the Gospels.  Ask God to use you to bring others to Him.  He will provide many opportunities!!