When the world sees our sinful behavior…

by michelle collins

Yesterday, I learned quite a lesson…from a non-believer. I was emailing a playgroup that I belong to for local moms in my area about someone that had made me angry, not someone in the playgroup; it was something not even relevant to them or the group itself. I proceeded to tell them how I felt about this person and what they had said and done, and about how it made me feel (what I should have done was prayed about it); I did this without choosing my words wisely, and got an unexpected response.

This ‘non-believer’ told me in an email that what I said was not very Christian of me. Whoa! Wait a minute…what did she say? I immediately felt like my faith was being attacked and at first I was quite upset at her. Then the Lord gently told me, “She’s right, you are supposed to be representing me.” And I thought to myself, “What if I have lost my chance to be a living witness to this person, have I made all Christians look badly?”

God immediately reminded me of Matthew 5:14-15 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Had I hidden my light? No, it was in full view of the world, shining brightly the very thing that I shouldn’t have said. And God used the person I should have been witnessing to, to tell me about it.

How can a non-believer praise our God, when His followers are acting contrary to His Word? 1Corinithians 4:1 says: “So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.” As believers, we must remember that our behavior is almost always looked upon differently than the rest of the world’s behavior. We must let our light shine, instead of letting it be smothered out by our sinful behavior. Or rather, have a huge spotlight shown on it. God says we are a city on a hill, and we cannot be hidden, what are you doing out in plain view of the rest of the world?

Imagine the unbeliever that has had an incident with a ‘Christian” behaving badly. That non-believer may think, “Gosh, if that is what Jesus is all about, I don’t want any part of it!” When we sin and the world sees it, and knows we are ‘Christian’, it is like crucifying Christ all over again. We are making a mockery of Christ and other Christians.

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, it says that we are Christ’s ambassadors, and that He is making an appeal through us to the world. What kind of appeal are you making with your actions and behavior? I had made one of resentment and anger, totally contrary to the nature of Christ.

I sinned in my anger, instead of doing good so that my Father in Heaven may be praised. I am reminded of Ephesians 4:26-27 26"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.” This is the very thing that I had done, I sinned in my anger, and God had to remind me that I need to behave like a servant of Christ, entrusted with the very secrets things of God. This is one lesson that I hope is learned, and not repeated.