What The World Sees

I read something on Facebook today about a post entry that mentioned something about a religious practice. The entry was countered by a friend denying that opinion and the debate was rather going nowhere. I begin to ponder the reasons that I feel that debates dealing with religion between a believer and a non believer often goes nowhere due to several reasons.

Firstly, it will never be easy because as believers, we are constantly countered by an unbelieving world. It is almost a sign of persecution that we can see how the world would not go along with who God is and what He says.

The second thing is that the believer is not necessarily using wisdom in his or her words in the debate. I have come across rash and insensitive believers that use words that come out of little to no love and with it they speak forth their opinions in such that take very little into consideration the many factors to their words. Even as we ought to speak out for our faith, but God also gives wisdom to say things. There is a place and time for everything.

The third thing for such unfruitful debates is because whoever that Christian is, is not living a life reflecting God to be counted as worth listening to. We do not know that our actions, words and lifestyle, unconsciously lends to giving the impression that we as Christians have no idea what we are believing and thus talking about.

I like to think that much of it is due to the third reason. We have taken lightly the command to be salt and light of this world. We might be just too busy tending our own lives and saving its comfort and ignoring the watching world around us, because we have made a name for ourselves that seems self-righteous.

Are the people around you who are not Christians seeing God in you? Is their lack of confidence in your gospel testimony due to your lifestyle? Are you living as a bad example for God and His ways? When they see you, do they see a life worth imitating?

Do you see God in me?