Most Americans claim a faith. But many of us bury it, under the anonymity of a”private” faith. We just don’t talk about it. And I get it. The nonbelievers are eager to paint people of faith with a particular political broadbrush or to prejudge without knowing the heart. And for many, it’s easier just to be quiet.
For others, there is the fear of falling into the ranks of hypocrisy. We want our actions to match our words. We have all seen those who stand on the pedestal and shout their faith without any regard to how their actions relate. How many of these vocal believers have poor workplace habits, shaky ethics, and worldly behavior? For these people, they are doing a disservice to our Lord to be a proclaimer. They should first be seen, and then be heard.
A friend of mine wrote me about the intersection of his workplace and his faith.
One of his extra duties is to publish a newsletter for the several hundred people at his plant. He says this “I’m sure you understand that I have to be careful about what I say and don’t say directly in the paper…but, I always find ways to at least point in the direction I’m alluding to—–upward to the Glory of God and Christ.”
And from what I know, he does. He is not one of these silent witnesses that could be mistaken for just another ‘nice guy.’His faith has transformed the way he works — not just what he says.
There is a key difference. He continues, “My life would be absolutely and totally empty without Jesus…it took me a few years to realize this and God allowed me a lot of grace until I finally came to this point in my life—but, now I understand it in my heart. ”
That’s what being a true Believer is all about. Letting God change your heart first, then your mind, and then your body. The workplace, your neighborhood, and your family desperately need people who are transformed — totally and thoroughly.
These are interesting times and the days will grow more evil. Rather than merely tolerating Christians and their “eccentrics”, our beliefs are now open game for hostility, confrontation, and ostracization.
Jesus said these days would come. He told us to remain devoted to one another in love, to do right in a world committed to wrong, and to be bold.
And that means we need to shed fear, to stand for our faith and to speak.
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