Throughout this series, I've introduced some indicators that let us know if our lives are lacking discipline. A few indicators revealed what a lack of spiritual discipline looks (and sounds) like, and others explained what a lack of physical discipline looks like. Today's indicator, like the others, certainly helps us see if we lack discipline, but this one points more to what can happen if we lack discipline. If we're undisciplined, especially spiritually, We Ruin Our Witness.
Anyone can ruin their witness, or, in other words, lessen their credibility. Let's take a police officer, for example. If an officer is knowingly breaking the law that he is expected to defend and uphold, we would certainly think, "But he's supposed to be an officer, right?" And rightfully so. We SHOULD question that officer's actions if he's breaking the law that he should be enforcing. We would probably develop a sense of mistrust when dealing with police officers after that. Even if in the back of our minds we tell ourselves that not all cops...not all people are the same, we'd still have a guard up just incase they are. That officer not only ruined his witness/credibility, but he messed it up for other police officers too. Now all of them will have to "prove themselves" before they can be trusted.
How many other professionals ruin their credibility and break the trust of those who look to them to do what they're in position to do? How many teachers are having inappropriate relationships with students? How many doctors are intentionally wrongfully prescribing drugs? How many judges go into the court room with "fixed cases"? And right along those lines, how many Christians ruin their witness by CLAIMING to be one thing but by BEING something else? Those Christians, I assure you, are lacking spiritual discipline, and a lack of spiritual discipline ruins their witness, which ultimately sheds unfavorable light on Christianity as a whole.
How many other professionals ruin their credibility and break the trust of those who look to them to do what they're in position to do? How many teachers are having inappropriate relationships with students? How many doctors are intentionally wrongfully prescribing drugs? How many judges go into the court room with "fixed cases"? And right along those lines, how many Christians ruin their witness by CLAIMING to be one thing but by BEING something else? Those Christians, I assure you, are lacking spiritual discipline, and a lack of spiritual discipline ruins their witness, which ultimately sheds unfavorable light on Christianity as a whole.
Without a doubt, when people see a Christian out of character, the first thing they think is, "But ain't she supposed to be a Christian?" And they have every right to raise that question. When we allow our speech to become reckless (gossip, cussing, belittling others, defamation, etc.) and when we're not walking in love and we're causing chaos and confusion, among others things, we're not disciplined in His ways. We haven't allowed His spirit to dominate our carnal thinking, and as a result, we don't represent Him well. And just like that person who doesn't trust any police officer because of what that ONE officer did, we could be the cause of someone not trusting the Christ that we proclaim because of what we do. We can cause them to walk in the complete opposite direction and not want to have anything to do with God. And why would we want that blood on our hands?
Remember This...
If you're a Christian, you're not saved just to go to heaven; you're saved to lead others to Christ. Period. We are ALWAYS "on the job", so even when we're not talking, we're "talking". Everything we do, speaks. For instance, if everyone's standing around talking about Mr. Stewart and you're with them from beginning to end, even if you're not saying anything, you're in it. Your staying there speaks about your character. How about changing the conversation? How about walking right on out of the convo, which is my favorite "go to" escape. I just walk. And it's taken practice. Sometimes it's hard to gauge if you're just having general conversation about what's going on with the people in your life or if you're talking "about" them, but I get a check in my spirit because I asked the Lord to tell me so I'd know to get myself in line. I had to recently ask a friend that we change our conversation when we're together because I found that WE, not just her, were engaging in conversations about people too much. Even though we weren't putting anyone down or dragging anyone through the mud, I just found that we spent more time discussing the people in our lives and how what they were doing was connected to us instead of us sharing what was going on in OUR lives. I apologized to her for not being the one to stand up and keep us away from conversation about others, and she apologized too. We knew that we were skirting the line and we don't want to hurt the heart of God with reckless speech.
Christians should be doing everything in excellence because of who we serve. People should wonder about us and want to do things the way we're doing things because we're doing things right. If we're not disciplined in the way we live out God's word, others don't get to see Him for who He really is. What an honor we have to be able to share Christ with others, and we should treat it as such! Our lives are not our own; we gave them up when we gave our hearts to Him. We don't get to have moments when we don't want to love people. We don't get to have moments when we don't want to show compassion. We don't get to have moments when we don't want to speak words of life and encouragement. Not when we're His. We must always reflect Him, even when it hurts. We must reflect Him, even when we're tired. We must reflect Him, even when no one else is because imagine if Leah was hurt by the church. She was hurt SO badly that she wanted to quit on God. She knew He was real though. She'd experienced His love for her on too many different occasions to doubt Him, but she was DONE with the "so called" Christians. She wanted to fellowship with other believers who were real. They may not have been perfect, because she certainly wasn't, but in her walk (and she hoped in theirs too), she strived to live a life that pleased God. When she messed up, she didn't continue to walk in her wrong. She turned to the Lord and His word to allow Him to get her right. She didn't pursue sin like so many were doing where she'd come from.
As she was visiting churches to find a new home and meeting people along the way, she met 3 people in a 2 month span who said they were Christians but did everything contrary to what a Christian should. They were not even TRYING to live for God. They didn't have hearts of repentance when they sinned. They didn't seek the Lord to learn how to fix what was broken in their lives. They didn't study. They were happy living their lives the way they were living them. Apart from church on Sunday, there was nothing else about them that made her want to fellowship with them. Leah told herself that she was just gonna stop trying to meet people. It would just be her and God. She gave up on the hope that Christianity was even real to anyone anymore. There wasn't anyone she could look to to believe that it was. And then she ran into you.
What happened next? Did she continue to think that Christianity isn't real and throw in the towel, or did she believe and have hope again? Does she know, now, that she's not alone in her walk and that there ARE others out there who sincerely want to please the Lord and draw others to Him with their lives?
You determine that.
Tomorrow
Life Without Discipline: Can God Use You?
What happened next? Did she continue to think that Christianity isn't real and throw in the towel, or did she believe and have hope again? Does she know, now, that she's not alone in her walk and that there ARE others out there who sincerely want to please the Lord and draw others to Him with their lives?
You determine that.
Tomorrow
Life Without Discipline: Can God Use You?
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