What are you a witness for?Are you primarily an American? Are you first a capitalist? Are you first a student, first a friend, first an employee? Who are you? What defines you?
These questions have been asked of us over and over again these last two semesters at school in Heritage. On the first day of class last semester, Dr. Stewart began with them. My quick answers to these questions were unconsidered and uneducated. I had never truly examined them, and myself in light of them. Yet, can I claim to be a human being and not ask these of myself? Am I truly living as best as I can if I haven't carefully considered and evaluated myself in light of them?
The answers to these questions are not simple, and arriving at these answers is often a painful and difficult challenge. I might be able to quickly answer that I am a Christian, or an Odell, a student, a photographer, a daughter, a sister or a friend, but does my life truly reflect that? Am I really a friend as I ought to be; am I a student to the best of my ability? Most importantly, if I say that Christ and His sacrifice on the cross define me, does my life preach this?
What am I a witness for? I revel in God's glory and grace, I preach love and mercy, yet do I turn and give compassion? Do I speak words of kindness? Do I live selflessly? Do I form my beliefs first according to the Bible, and allow it to inform everything else instead of seeking to make the Bible conform to my desired beliefs?
I don't ever want to think that I have fully answered these questions. I don't want to believe that I can move on from them, and that I have everything figured out. I don't want to be content with who I am, with what I say, and with what I live. I want my identity to be Christ. I want my words to be the gospel. I want my life to be single-minded. I want my witness to be one of the cross.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
These questions have been asked of us over and over again these last two semesters at school in Heritage. On the first day of class last semester, Dr. Stewart began with them. My quick answers to these questions were unconsidered and uneducated. I had never truly examined them, and myself in light of them. Yet, can I claim to be a human being and not ask these of myself? Am I truly living as best as I can if I haven't carefully considered and evaluated myself in light of them?
The answers to these questions are not simple, and arriving at these answers is often a painful and difficult challenge. I might be able to quickly answer that I am a Christian, or an Odell, a student, a photographer, a daughter, a sister or a friend, but does my life truly reflect that? Am I really a friend as I ought to be; am I a student to the best of my ability? Most importantly, if I say that Christ and His sacrifice on the cross define me, does my life preach this?
What am I a witness for? I revel in God's glory and grace, I preach love and mercy, yet do I turn and give compassion? Do I speak words of kindness? Do I live selflessly? Do I form my beliefs first according to the Bible, and allow it to inform everything else instead of seeking to make the Bible conform to my desired beliefs?
I don't ever want to think that I have fully answered these questions. I don't want to believe that I can move on from them, and that I have everything figured out. I don't want to be content with who I am, with what I say, and with what I live. I want my identity to be Christ. I want my words to be the gospel. I want my life to be single-minded. I want my witness to be one of the cross.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
2 comments:
This is so good, Shan. Thank you.
Yes, oh yes. I'm learning how hard it is to make your life and your mind preach the gospel in all circumstances. To keep God, our reason for living, at the center of our lives, and not allow busyness to push Him to the side. Why do I do that? Why do I so often forget Him, and then come back to Him, almost as a side note? Why? He is so GREAT, He is so AWESOME. Greater and awesomer than anything I can do in a day or be involved in. But God is patient, He is our parent, and He trains us. This was good, Shannon. Thanks.
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