I am a Christian. I’ve never denied this truth nor have I ever hidden it to gain favor with those who may not share my faith. I am a Christian, and I’m proud to say so. Every day and night, I do my best to live a life that can not only be classified as “Christ-like,” but is also, in the most humble way possible, a literal reflection of Jesus. But I often fail. I say things I shouldn’t say. I think things I shouldn’t think. I do things I shouldn’t do. I am merely a sinner who was blessed enough to have been born in to a family that covets the truth of God and truly aims to follow His teachings. I am a sinner blessed by happenstance.

We are Christians. Those who know us are privy to this information. Those around us can (hopefully) tell a difference between how we conduct ourselves in comparison to those who aren’t fortunate enough to be saved as of yet. But what if they can’t? What if our walk in God isn’t as vibrant as we may think? What if the words we speak are wasteful and lack holy meaning? It terrifies me to think that I may just be seen as simply a “good person”—because I’m more than that. You’re more than that. Yes, we are good people, and yes, we give freely of ourselves, but if our walk in God and our talk in God aren’t prevalent enough to be recognized as anything but true Christianity, then we have failed.

In all honesty, I have a bit of a temper It isn’t easily set off, nor am I easily angered. But when I am, when something quickens me to my core and a fire burns wicked in my eyes, my temper gets the best of me and the result is usually me saying a few choice words that I shouldn’t; I become a cussing Christian. I don’t know why I do it. Saying those words doesn’t make me feel better, and they certainly don’t help the situation. I just end up regretting my foul mouth and asking God to forgive me for letting such vile things escape from my throat. And you know what? He forgives me every single time. But what if someone I have influence over hears me say those cuss words? What if they witness me punch a wall because a situation has stressed me beyond my point of reasoning, and their opinion of me is changed forever? What if they are lost because my “Christianity” escaped me for a few weakened moments? I have to be better than that. My walk and my talk must, must, must always reflect that of the holy God who was kind enough to grant me a sinner’s salvation.

I won’t ruminate on how we should never be angry. Jesus Himself angrily tossed around a table or two back in His day. And I definitely won’t preach that we must never sin again. Though it’s a goal to strive toward, WE ARE SINNERS. It’s what we do and who we are. It is our eternal condition. But in Him, through Him, we can be better. Growing closer to the Source of our craved goodness will, in turn, cause our own deep-seeded goodness, our Christianity, to shine that much brighter. With Him, our walk can match the steps He would take, and our talk can sing the song of His redemption. It only takes a more concerned effort from us. I, for one, desire nothing more than my walk and my talk to never be mistaken for anything other than a legitimate reflection of Him. A Christian shouldn’t want it any other way.

(Source: corycopeland.wordpress.com)