Image: David Goldman/AP
(Parents Magazine Africa) – You need to understand that it is not possible to be a part-time Christian because faith is a full time job. You cannot claim to be Christian yet your ways suggest otherwise. Jesus says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can be a slave of two masters; he will hate one and love the other; he will be loyal to one and despise the other.
You cannot focus and commit fully to one thing if there is something else that is distracting you. The ways of the world are completely different from the how the Bible advises Christians to live and that is why we are advised in Romans 12:2 not to conform to the ways of the world, “… but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God – what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.”
It is human nature to want to be accepted by other people, but this desire leads Christians into sin, which is not acceptable in God’s eyes. Many Christians participate in corruption through bribery or exchanging favors in order to get what they need because that is the norm. They are also afraid of ridicule or mistreatment for standing their ground. And so they give in instead of fully trusting God to make a way.
Worshipping is also something many lukewarm Christians compromise on. God is not confined to one day a week, that is, when we go to church on Sunday. A true relationship with Christ means that we live with Him every hour, minute and second of every day.
Most people in the world work for a living, which takes up a lot of our time, but this doesn’t mean we can’t worship God during working hours. Talk to God and pray throughout your working day. Share your faith with your colleagues. Ask Him to bless your working day and to help you be a witness to your colleagues.
This is what the Lord says about those who have an on and off relationship with him, those who are only Christians when it is convenient for them. Revelation 3:15-16, “I know what you have done; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either or the other one. But because you are lukewarm, neither hot or cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth.”
By following Jesus full time, you will surely face challenges but you are encouraged in Philippians 4:13, “I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. You can get through anything because God is with you.”
Lets be good ambassadors of Christ. You cannot expect anyone to respect Christianity and actually practice it when you are preaching water while drinking wine. Many people express that they wish that their Christian friends could live what they preach, but unfortunately that is not always the case. You may be encouraging your colleagues to be kind and good to the poor or orphans by donating food, money or spending time with them, but in reality you have never done any of these things. Salvation is an active process that manifests in our deeds.
You only have one life and death is imminent, therefore, live by the words of King Solomon as he wrote in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Work hard at whatever you do, because there will be no action, no thought, no knowledge, no wisdom in the world of the dead – and that is where you are going.” Let us be full time Christians for we serve a full time God who neither slumbers nor sleeps.
