For those on the Christian path, what are we called to?
Are we called to be God bearers, giving birth to Christ in the world? Are we called to see Christ in our enemies? To embrace not only those we love, but also those marginalized and despised, hidden from view?
How is that possible? Only by truly believing that because of grace, we are called to be other Christ in the world. When we pray, perhaps like Christ, we represent with and through Christ, all of mankind, for then we truly bear each others burdens.
The Our Father, if said slowly and pondered, seems to indicate that. For Catholics, the last part of the "Hail Mary" says this: "pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death". This seems to be a prayer for the whole human race, just like the Our Father.
More often than not people hate Christians because they accost those they feel are outside the fold; in other words they are persecuted because of their unbelief, belittled and not simply loved as Christ taught us. I know that the majority do not do this, but as we know, the negative is what sticks out.
If people do not experience the Christian before them as filled with love, then their blabbering is a waste of time. Perhaps preaching should not be attempted until ones inner demons, anger, rages, doubts and lust are confronted, known and owned. Perhaps in judging others, in fact, we really our judging ourselves and more often than not, it seems at times, to be based on envy and jealousy.
In what ways has God called you to bring the message of Christ to the world? What are you doing, or not doing, to make that calling a reality?
Recommend
Comments (3)
It has taken a very long time for me to decipher what the Lord has called me to do and I may never truly understand the calling up until I pass away. I always had this ideal that being a missionary of Christ meant to seek them out in the world. To travel to places where there are the poorest of the poor, the sick, the dying, the needy, etc. I have come to learn, however, that there are these right at my side; the people to whom I was given and whom were given to me.
I feel that we must start with those around us and not take on an air of spiritual pride. We must allow the Lord to flow through us, to be our eyes, ears, and mouths. When we open our mouths and force out Praise and Thanksgiving and force out an attempt at evangelisation, people will know and the enemy will know that our words are fake and empty. My most recent lesson is that sometimes silence truly is best. I often felt that at every chance I had I had to speak up but I was beginning to make a fool out of myself because I just wanted to say something so brilliant, and to turn peoples' hearts but this wasn't the case. Sometimes it isn't in our words that we set an example, it's in our actions. Simply living a Christian life to the best of our abilities is the most difficult part, I believe.
@MommaFish89@xanga - Thank you for your thoughtful response. The lesson you talk about is something I believe most of us have to relearn as we go through life.....nice comment.
peace
mark
The one thing I took from my new found Christian experience 24 years ago was to pray for our leaders, even those I couldn't stand, wouldn't vote for if you lit my house on fire. To always accept the fact that God does indeed love those whom we can't stand, since they are his creation, and we aren't so perfect at that. If anything, it brings out the weaknesses in us, calling us to repentance, and helping to keep us closer to being on track than otherwise.