Mr. Smith, was teaching a Sunday school class of 3rd and 4th grade boys. He was endeavoring to impress upon the class the importance of living the Christian life. “Why do people call me Christian?” he asked. After a moment’s pause, one of the boys replied, “Maybe it’s because they don’t know you.”
Of course the boy was thinking they couldn’t call him Mr. Smith if they didn’t know his name, but it is a good thing to consider from the standpoint of how it sounds. Would people who know us well be able to call us Christians based on our actions?
Like some of you “scofflaws,” I got a ticket while driving down Nicolas Rd. this week. I wanted to say things that weren’t nice to the motorcycle cop who pulled me over. If I had succumbed to the temptation, it is certain that the officer would not have been likely to identify me as a Christian. I didn’t sing “I’m so happy and here’s the reason why” to him, but at least I was able to be civil and take my punishment like a man. He appreciated my cooperation. He told me so. I wasn’t really trying to cooperate, I was just trying not to cry and scream like a girl.
We Christians ought to be recognizable as Christians by those who know us. How convincing are we in our role as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ?