Life as a Christian Woman

We are bombarded every day with images of “perfection.” The right size, body type, hair, eye color and clothes are the road to a happy life, or at least that’s what we are led to believe.

In other words, appearance is everything.

And I agree.

But it’s a different kind of appearance that really counts. It’s how we appear to others through actions, through our daily life, that will have a huge impact on how we are percieved, which in turn will impact how well we can communicate our faith to others.

We can’t talk the talk unless we are willing to walk the walk. We can’t condemn someone for an action if we do the same, or a similar, thing (we shouldn’t be condemning anyone in the first place!).

In Philippians 4: 8 we read:

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

We need to live our lives as much above reproach as possible. We need to think before we act or speak. We need to “lead with love” towards our world.

Can you imagine if Jesus had preached love, yet behaved like an old grump? We would be left with the ultimate mixed message! But he spoke love and lived a life that showed love to all, even those deemed the most unworthy.

Recently I was in Chicago with my family for the weekend. As we walked back to our hotel after dinner, we saw a large box of coats, shoes and scarves sitting on the corner. I wondered who had left it there. Then I saw another box about a block down, then another and another. Turns out that, since the night was going to be pretty cold, a Good Samaritan group was putting boxes with blankets, coats and other cold weather gear out for those who might need it, those down on their luck or homeless. It was a mission of several of the churches located in the downtown area.

Those unknown (but to God) folks gave of themselves through a heart of love. They bettered their world by not sitting around complaining about those who may ask for money, they wordlessly provided gifts of love to those who needed them most.

I don’t know who they were, or what they looked like. But I bet to God, and to those who were able to stay a bit warmer on a cold night, they looked like angels.