Christians - Please stop 'making a difference'

And start being different!

I have come to the conclusion that too many Christians are engaged in 'making a difference' to the extent that 'being different' (ie. Christian) is hidden and perhaps even missing.

In the past few weeks I have found people who are engaged in wonderful projects to improve the lot of those in the community by engaging in various programmes and social action groups. The problem is that what appears to be happening in this rapidly post-Christian nation of ours is that the name of Christ and the preaching of the Gospel and 'overt*' acts of Christian witness are now hidden behind the doing of stuff.

*overt - One minister I spoke to informed me that, "They and their church didn't need to spell out what Christianity was, the key was for the church to be engaged and that by doing this they fulfilled the Gospel. People came into their building and people interacted with the church members and this was enough. Start preaching and talking about Jesus and they all left!"

So here I am, first day back after the Summer holidays and there are funerals and services piled up on the desk and encounters to be had between now and then and if I don't mention Christ - His love, sacrifice and obedience then what do I have? The answer is nothing and this, i fear is very much what I find in the hands of many of my colleagues and their members.

+ If we are living in fear when it comes to preaching the Gospel then we are surely living as those who are unsaved.

+ If we cannot bring ourselves to share the love of God as seen in Jesus, the Christ, then what do we have that makes us different from those who pass our doors and never come in? After all, humanists and secularists will endlessly drone on about their good works and their 'christian' (a word which in this context means little I am afraid) acts. Seems to me that far too many of those who consider themselves to be 'Christian' are as 'christian' as the secular and humanist types!

+ We do need to make a difference but we do this by 'being different' and that difference is by being like Christ, something which means obedience to God's Word (living and written) - A reality that so many who want to call themselves Christian seem not to want as they pick and mix whatever it is that will make them happy!

+ We need to be different by reading and understanding God's word and by prayerful engagement with God and from these moving as God would have us move. We need to be able to understand our calling and seek to fulfil it and we cannot do this by hiding who we are and what we believe. But sadly it appears that we do.

Read your Bible so that you will understand what God has done for us and what God is doing for, and in and through, us too.

Pray to God and listen using Scripture, tradition and reason to interpret what you hear (you are trying to hear God aren't you?) and the witness of the Bible and those other Christians around you (and the conviction and confirmation of the Holy Spirit).

Act among those around you in the name of Christ. Take the light that is in you into the dark places (geographically and people-wise) and illumine their hearts and change their lives (and the lives of their communities).

Doing is great, after all that's what the many secularist and humanist 'do-gooders' are into and they are making a difference, but we are called to make a difference that will last and the reason it will last (forever) is because of Jesus. The secularist/humanist types get their reward now and when they die, they die. that's all they expect and I don't expect them to be disappointed (universalists can wail now!)!

But we are engaged in a work that will last until the end of time - well we are if we doing as Christians and proclaiming, living and trusting in the name of Jesus. And if you're not, then stop calling yourself a Christian or man up and take up your Cross and do it properly. Anything else is wasting your time and marginalising Jesus.

Pax