She Don’t Act Like No Christian

One year ago, I wrote the blog post "Fearless." It was a true turning point in my life. I did begin to be brave and courageous, knowing the Lord is always with me and that He has great things for me. But, I also felt pressure to clean up my image. I was being haunted by the perceived junk in my life. I did not feel I conformed to the image of a Christian. My image of a Christian had been someone who didn't do a list of things I heard were wrong. My belief system had been shaped by hearing my whole life "she don't act like no Christian" or "fake Christian" the moment someone did something that fell short, perceived or actually, of the commenter's approved list of Christian behavior. I was feeling very conflicted. Why would God call me to do great things, but make it so hard for me to be a "good" Christian? 

I was trying so hard to be a "good" Christian, I was almost broken. I was trying to clean myself up to do what God called me to do to the point I was not being who God designed me to be. What I have learned this past year is the importance of knowing the Word of God. My belief system had been flawed because I was relying too heavily on the words of people. Though perspective from other Christians and the body of the church is important, nothing replaces you knowing the Word of God for yourself. And that is the beauty of our relationship with Jesus Christ, it’s personal! By knowing and meditating on the Word, I now know God's promises for me and my truth.

Christianity is a gift. To be a Christian, you do have to "...openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved." (Romans 10: 9-10 NLT) I had to remember Jesus' salvation alone made me clean. My "junk" is what He wants to use for me to be sensitive to those He wants me to reach. The more I let Him use me, the more I will reflect Him. So, my self-cleaning process would actually prohibit me from seeing God's fullness in my life! That's when I got my breakthrough! The Lord has pressed into me that I can't just change my behavior. I have to truly believe and trust Him, letting Him change my heart daily, for me to reflect His ways more and more. It is a process and will continue until Jesus returns. 

Once I grasped this, I realized I don't have to "act" like a Christian; I do not have to perform nor conform to anything that is not God’s Word nor His voice through prayer. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I simply am a Christian and reflect the fruit of the Spirit the more it ripens in my life. These ideas of being a "good" and not "fake" Christian should not be my focus because they are not based on God's Word! My focus is to be on God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, because I need Him, and only Him, to carry the title Christian.

I will honor Him by freely accepting His gift of salvation and surrendering to His Will for my life! Thank you Lord!

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