- What does it mean to be a Christian?
- What makes someone a Christian?
- Is it defined by accepting Jesus as your Savior and believing His death and resurrection... or is it more than that?
- Can someone be a "Christian", accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, cuss people out and be critical of others every other day AND still make it into Heaven?
- Is being a Christian the same or different to be a follower of Christ?
- What does it mean to be Christ-like?
- Does God want us to be like Christ or Christ-like?
- If God is our only judge, and Christians are supposed to be followers of His Word, why do Christians feel they can and should judge others?
- Are we, as Christians, supposed to hold ourselves to a higher standard simply because we're are Christians?
- If so, is that why Christians can be judgmental?
- If we are Christians, God is Love and we are followers of God and His Word, why is loving ourselves and others so hard at times?
- If we are all blessed with gifts, talents and skills, does that give any of us the right to govern over the other?
- When Christians genuinely want to help other Christians, why is it often seen as an offensive act by the recipient as oppose to an act of encouragement?
Isn't it ironic how God blesses us with love, mercy, grace and forgiveness but His representatives, including myself, have a tendency to fall short in these departments?
I've reached a point in my walk that I Got Questions about my walk, my faith and my future. I will never renounce God or Christianity... but I'm really trying to define it for myself. What Christianity and my relationship with God is SUPPOSED to look like. I need Him. I know that more than ever. But I Got Questions.
I've posed these questions to the world because I believe that since Ms. Houston's funeral aired all over the world for believers and non believers to see, we have a duty, responsibility and accountability to represent Christ as we are supposed to. For the purpose that God Almighty made us. He made us in His Image to represent Him. And as I am convicted, even as I write this blog, I realize that the point is the spread His word and show mercy, grace, love and forgiveness just as He does. But do we?
I can speak for myself - in my marriage, towards my children, towards my parents and friends - I thank God for His mercy because I don't think I measure up according to His Will. Not yet anyway. I try, I'm working on it, and daily I feel I get better... but it's those back slides that get me every time. That bring on the guilt. I've always had an issue with controlling my tongue. I've graduated from cussing everyone out whenever I feel like it to giving you a piece of my mind without cussing to speaking out of turn frequently to choosing my words wisely before speaking to not speaking nearly as much as I would like to.
My biggest struggle is self control. I want to make my Daddy so proud that it brings me to tears sometimes. Especially because I know He loves me either way. At the end of the day, I want to get to the point that I can shed the feelings of guilt and accept the self-conviction, make conscious changes and turn it around for His Glory. I guess I can be my biggest judge. Whether that's a good or bad thing, I'm not sure. But what I do knows is that I'm developing, I'm healing and I'm changing. He guides me in everything that I do and I thank Him for ordering my steps. Glory be to God. Great things He has done! I'M MOVING FORWARD FOR HIS PURPOSE!
Amen
Be Blessed in BEING AN GOOD EXAMPLE OF YOUR FAITH
