Two Types of Christianity

The young man´s faith was being tried. He had grown up in a church and community of believers. But their pressure to walk and talk like them was not always kind. It did not always demonstrate God´s loving character or presence. Then, the young man met a girl at work. She was different. She did not impose her beliefs on anyone. She lived them. Her heart was big, and it opened to anyone she could embrace. Her instinctive response to any situation was to turn to the Lord. She did that often. She was not afraid to stop what she was doing and pray to God, right there in front of everyone.

Too often, we get caught up in a way of life and beliefs that we carry out without a thought. We assume that God is with us because we have made great declarations of faith. Yet that is not where our faith is lived out. Our flourishing walk with the Savior shifts our focus. Our concerns lie somewhere else besides this life we live here on earth. We become distracted so to speak. Our thoughts, our hearts, and our attention turn to God. We no longer think, “I must do this or say that.” Instead, we work out our thoughts and feelings with the One we engage with. Instead of making each decision ourselves, we have the Spirit of God right there with us. We turn to Him. We lean on Him. We live our lives with Him.

Dear Lord, grow this bond between us until everyone around us notices. Make our walk with You so real and visible that our faith is displayed. Let others know how wonderful You are through the loving relationship we share. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Matthew 22:37-40  ESV / And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

1 John 2:4-6  ESV / Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.