I wake up every morning feeling thankful for my life because I know that whilst I slept, God was ensuring my life for the next day by keeping His all seeing eyes on me. This knowledge alone of a never-ending love builds up ones confidence in his/ her life. In Matt 28 v 20 Jesus says that he is always with us. It's because of this that I know that wherever I find myself in life's never ending drama; He's up there watching me. You also start feeling his presence with you 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, all year round.
That's an awesome feeling.
I will never ever believe that becoming a Christian was a freak accident or coincidence, for I truly believe that God singled me out from millions and said "You are mine" (Isaiah 43:1) Since then my life has been driven by a different purpose, a spiritual purpose, with a much more magnificent prize. A crown of life in heaven (Revelation 2:10)
Being a Christian is not just about going to church every Sunday or singing songs and listening to the speaker preach. It's not about partying hard everyday of the week and then leaving only Sunday holy by attending church. It's not only about believing that there is a God out there, because "Even the demons believe and tremble" (James 2:19), and their final destination will be in hell.
Being a Christian to me, is about being part of the church, part of a family, part of the body of Christ (1st Cor 12: 27), Its about having brothers and sisters that you never had but always wanted, its about having aunties and uncles who always mean the best but somehow manage to embarrass you whist giving good advice. It's about gaining mothers and fathers that are just as protective and loving as your natural parents but also share with you that same goal and purpose driven life. (Acts 17:24-28).
It's about being part of a network of love and friendship with a common goal.
For me being a Christian is about my constant appetite to communicate with God through my prayers. 1st Thess 5:17 says we should "Pray without ceasing" and James 5:16 speaks of our prayers achieving much. Its about God's need to communicate to me through His words and about me being able to hear Him by studying His words II Timothy 2:15 says we should "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly diving the word of truth."
How can one truly call him/ her self a Christian if they know nothing of Christ, are we, as Christians not meant to live like him and be emulating his ways? How are we to grow closer to him if we do not build up on our relationship with Him?
Before we can truly call someone a friend, we have to get to know their likes and dislikes, learn about their history/ past, birthdays and families. We learn what makes them angry and try to prevent it. We learn what makes them happy and therefore do our best to bring joy to their lives. Well this concept applies to Christianity, as the only way I am able to know God and become a true Christian and friend of Christ is by reading my bible always, making my own judgement of his words, not going by what my friends and family tell me but by what God has personally told me through His words. It's from the bible that I know that sin is something that displeases God, so I try to stay away from sin.
It's a connection between God and us, without it we are vain Christians.
Being a Christian is about attending worship on a regular basis because it's our spiritual home, where the members of the church are our family. Sunday is really the only day when all the members gather together in one place to worship God as a church, in order to praise him, give thanks to him and remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 10:24 & 25)
It's about our fellowship meals every month, where the church eats together and true love is exposed as we share in each others joys, laughter or tears, encouraging one another, and comforting one another with the comfort that God has comforted us with. (Acts 2:46-47 and Galatians 6:2)
Being a Christian is about my freedom in life, freedom from sin, worldly ties and pleasures, freedom from life's problems, trials and pain. I have freedom because I know that God is taking care of me, He has my little life in his mighty hands. Believe me that encourages my feeling of freedom, because I forget all my troubles knowing that it's God's trouble as well, which he will deal with when the time is right.
Being a Christian is like air to me and without it I don't see myself surviving. I am addicted to Loving God and the blessings that I receive on a regular basis, which are beyond my comprehension (Ephesians 1:3)
God has the power to make all Christians burning lights in this world. (Matthew 5:14) He also wants to make us the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), If we all act as Christians are supposed to act and take on our responsibilities, God will achieve this within us. Being a Christian is not just a word, its carries a lot of hard work and effort and if used wrongly has its own consequences. (1st John 1:5-10)
I wouldn't want to deceive anyone by making them think that Christianity is all about joy non-stop (well it can be, but that all depends on the individual), being a Christian has its hard and rocky times, when we completely forget about our gifts from God and our daily blessings to become overwhelmed by our pain and troubles, but just before we feel as though we can't go on because of life's pressures, God steps in and saves us, and we learn from our hard experiences, and thereby become better individuals and Christians/ servants of God. We become as precious and pure as gold itself.
We need to remember that trouble is only for a season, it comes and goes, Romans 8:37 speaks of Christians being more than conquerors through Him who loves us. Through our troubles we become stronger, wiser, more faithful and trusting. It's one of Gods ways of refining us, so that when He looks down on us, He will see His own reflection on us.
As a father loves his Child for no other reason than he is his child, so God loves every one of us and is not willing that any should die but that all should be saved.
God has called me by name to be one of His own, as a beloved Christian, He is now also calling for YOU by YOUR, name, but...
WILL YOU ANSWER?
No eye has seen, No ear has heard, No mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us His children, by His spirit who lives in us.
But don't take my word what being a Christian is all about.
Come and experience it yourself.
With us...
...With God...
...In love
"The churches of Christ salute you"
Romans 16:16