BEING CHRIST TO NON-BELIEVERS

“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6 NLT

       It should be very obvious to us as believers that non-believers are all around us.  Make no mistake that they are watching those they know to be Christians; watching and waiting for the least little slip up. Non-believers, who know a hand full of bible verses, believe they know better than us believers what we are supposed to do.  Sadly, in some cases that may be very true. We are human and sometimes we get caught up in very human actions and reactions, which are usually unbecoming of a Christian.  The non-believers revel in our humanness, in that they feel it gives them the justification they need to live as they please.  Not knowing the big picture, they miss the mark and don’t even know it. 

       We are ambassadors for Christ; His representatives on this earth.  Ideally, when people see us they should see Jesus in our words and actions throughout the day.  We should pray for opportunities to share our faith whenever and wherever we can.  Being led by the Holy Spirit within is crucial to the success of our outreach. Telling someone about Christ, unless empowered by the Holy Spirit, doesn’t have the impact it once did.  Nowadays people want to see what Jesus is all about thru a changed life.  And frankly, I can’t say that I blame them. Talk is cheap. We must live our faith, rather than just talk about it.  If we act like the world we will make no impact for Christ at all. We must comb the scriptures with a hungry heart seeking to learn more and more about our Savior.  The more we know, the more we will assimilate Christ’s character making it easier to be gracious and kind to those on the outside of our faith, rather than harsh and judgmental. 

       We are no better then non-believers. In fact the only difference is that we are forgiven.  When we share the gospel, we must do it with patience and love, just as the Lord did with us.  Never forget where we were prior to our conversion.  We were enemies of God, separated from Him by our sin.  We need to see non-believers as God sees them; as lost souls bound for an everlasting hell.  We should see each non-believer as a person on a tightrope over a fiery abyss.  Pray for lost souls and watch for opportunities to be Christ to someone.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2012.