I am convinced that there is something wholly different about this time that we are living in. It is not just the fact that it is swelteringly hot, and the extreme heat is sustained over a period. According to the Pews Research 2019 write-up, the Christian landscape in the U.S. is changing rapidly. There has been a 12% decline in those who profess themselves as protestant Christians from over a decade ago.

While I will say this is troubling it is not totally surprising.

It is with a heavy heart that I use this analogy. I will not intentionally go out to buy a defective product. If I should go out today to buy a new pair of trousers, I will make my purchase on the assumption that the manufacturer is selling a quality product to its customer; so, whilst browsing in the store, I am making my decision to buy based on how the trouser fits, the color, the feel, etc. I am not wondering about the quality aspects: will the seam pop open or the zipper break in a month. I assume that all those critical aspects will have been taken care of by the manufacturer before the products hit the store floor. Many people looking into Christian-dom are thinking the same. They are assuming that we are so desperate for Christ that we are allowing Him to take us on a righteous journey in this life. They are not expecting perfect, but they are expecting people whose lives if examined will reflect Christ. And yet what are they seeing? Unfortunately, pastors sexually abusing children, abusing their power, teaching another doctrine different from the word, seeing believers uphold ideologies that impact others’ lives negatively. Don’t get me wrong, some are doing a good job of it, but sadly many are not! And it is not just pastors, this should be a clarion call for us all to do better. This is not time to bury my head in the sand or to be peer-pressured into going along with what is not a testimonial of who Christ is.

Lately, I am being reminded of what Jesus ordered His disciples to do in Mark 9: 33-37. In that scripture, the disciples had been arguing amongst themselves about which one of them would be the greatest. Just take a minute to think about what this means. Jesus’ followers were arguing amongst each other about which one of them would be first. They were after self-interest, self-endowment, self-proclamation, etc. The issue with self-interest is that invariably others will be left out of the blessing, opportunity, promotion, elevation, etc. You can see why Jesus forcefully rejected their thinking because it was contradictive to His goal and objective. He never attempted to self-elate; He always looked for the opportunity to lift others up. When we strive to be first, we never give ourselves the chance to stop and reflect, determine what we are doing that needs changing or what we must repent of, so we can change course. Those with “me first” mentality are intentional on becoming what they have set our hearts on, and unfortunately, it just might not be God! Jesus scolded His followers; He instructed them to become SERVANTS! Are you a servant my friend? A servant is not always busy telling others what to do, how to do it, how right they’re and how wrong others are. Servants listen first to others’ pain-points and do something about relieving that pain-point. I have come across many people telling me about what is wrong in this world, and they are not ready to serve to set it right in a godly way.

Jesus in that same scripture set a child amidst His followers and said this: “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

My friend, a child could represent a nonbeliever, maybe a Muslim, an addict, a Hindu, a backslider, etc. In political terms, maybe that most despised liberal! It really does not matter who that child is, but that child is the apple of God’s eye also! “Whoever receives this child in My Name!” This instructs us to be intentional about caring for a wide range of people and getting out of the business of making negative headlines, negative discussions, negative testimonials. I am however clear-eyed that it will be impractical to stop these negative happenings if we do not get off self-righteousness, self-belief, and eco-chamber Christian-dom!

Going back to the Pew Research results, it is safe to draw a correlation between why the Christian population in the U.S., is on the decline. One of the things I believe we aim to do when we become Christians is to allow God to make us a letter that speaks of who God is, just as Paul spoke of in 2 Corinthians 3:1-3: Paul was reminding the Corinthians that they were doing a good job of living in a glass house and that their lives have become such a powerful evangelistic tool that he did not have to say much because people were watching their lifestyles and coming to know the righteousness, compassion, power, truth, grace and love of God. He said their lives reflected what the Spirit of the living God can do. Yes, Lord. Let me be one of these!

I am of the mind that we do not need to justify our faith in this world, it is the most effective saving grace there is on earth! And yet, the world will only be able to see us via our testimonials. In Paul’s case they saw Him living His faith, no Jew, no Greek, no slave! He became everything to everyone to see others saved. Plesae read 1 Corinthians 9-19-23 which says – Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

We must get back to the business of reflecting God in our everyday lives. And so, I encourage us to treat each day with God’s grace as living in a glassed house where we live God, and as people watch, they see Him and only Him. Will we make mistakes, yes! But they will see that these are mistakes, not a way of living. They will see us living contrary to seeking to be the greatest, the smartest, the wealthiest, and the most judgmental – having an opinion about every other person’s lives, but ours!

God bless!

Linda Faith
Linda is a prolific writer. Her body of work includes inspiring poems, fictional books, and Christian living empowering books. You can find her work such as Sweet Holy Spirit, Ravens Must Feed, A Fruitful life, etc. on www.amazon.com. Read more about Linda at www.lindafaith.org.