A Practical Christian Life

“You are the light of the world. A town built 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 others,
 that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

(Matthew 5: 14 - 16)

    How can we live a true and practical Christian life? In the modern world that is filled with all kinds of attractions, involvements and glorifications, how can we cope up with the challenge of living a Christ-centered and Christ-oriented life? What are the measurements that show us that our intentions, our activities and what we earn by them are still within the parameters of the disciplines of the Christian life? 

    I have always been questioning myself about these few challenges, and I am sure there are more secrets to understand in the coming days. But one of them - one of those many answers - I have found it in Matthew 5: 14 - 16. One of the greatest secrets of living a practically possible Christian life is by allowing others to see what's in your backdrop. We begin to live a successful Christ-filled and Christ-oriented life when the last verse in the Bible passage above becomes practical in our lives. We are called to live a life in which others are able to see our good deeds and, most importantly, our life should be directing all the glory to God. This balance between our good deeds and God's glory is a difficult and challenging one because we are human beings. 

    First of all, a Christian life should be one that is inspired by God. Our lives should be reflecting God's light in this world. Probably like a prism that projects its reception in all different colours. A Christian life filled with God's light should reflect the love, the characteristics, the true way, the assurance and the salvation that we find in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is Christ Jesus's calling to be the light in this world. But this calling takes us to the next level - the practicality and purpose of this calling. The calling assures us that God has not only called us to be THE light in this world but also has built us as a town up on the hill so that we will not be hidden. Whether we like it or not, a Christian's life is always observed by others, because God has set us up on the mountain with the calling to spread light. It is this realisation that makes us very much responsible for our calling to live as THE light of the world. I have repeated the word THE with caps so that we would realise our individual responsibility.

    So how do we take it forward? What does this calling demands from us? Matthew 5: 16 says, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Thus, a practical Christian life should be one that lives what is said in this verse. Our life, inspired by God's love, should be one that is filled with good deeds. The goodness of what we do should be received in fullness by everyone around us. People should be able to see the difference in us; they should be able to identify what makes us go that extra mile when others are in need. And that is where the real challenge begins. Yes. People should feel, understand and gain by our deeds inspired by the love of Christ Jesus. But more importantly, our lives and deeds should be such that people do not praise and thank us for these deeds, but GLORIFY OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN! This is the challenge of the present day's Christian living and Christian ministries. Our lives and deeds should reflect the love and image of Christ Jesus the Lord so that people will not see us but they will see GOD! This is one of the secrets of Christian living - one that glorifies God. 

    I pray that our lives and deeds, inspired by the love of Christ Jesus, will continue to be filled with good deeds so that people can see Jesus in them and will glorify our Father in Heaven. This would be a way to live a practical Christian life. May the blessing and power of God the Father, the love and grace of Christ Jesus the Son, the fellowship and presence of the Holy Spirit, be with all of us and guide us as we continue to do good deeds that glorify our Father in Heaven. 

    May God bless you.

    Yours in Christ,

 

"Make me a channel of your peace..." by Dragon School Choir, Oxford.

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