Clay in the Hands

I woke up this morning with this thought running through my mind.  I kept asking the question, “What does living the Christian life look like in a purely practical sense.”  Or put another way, if I say that I believe in Jesus and his teachings and have dedicated my life to follow him, then what should my life truly look like to those around me.  The answer that came to me and still comes to me almost hauntingly is this:  “The answer lies at the foot of the cross.”

If I imagine myself standing at the foot of the cross, with all the sites and sounds of that horrific event swimming around in my mind, I begin to see the life of an authentic Jesus follower in vivid clarity.  I am not saying that we must each die on a cross literally, but Jesus was very clear that following him meant dying to self and taking up our cross daily.

But lets keep this image concrete and tangible – the authentic life – the life lived in commitment to Jesus – is one of sacrifice and humility.  When I look at the cross, I see a man who gave up everything and humbly did what God told him to do for others – all others including you and me.  He sacrificed everything for what he believed in – what he knew God wanted.

So, I ask the question again, “What does living the Christian life look like in a purely practical sense.”  The answer lies at the foot of the cross.  The Christian life, authentically lived should be a life of humble sacrifice – giving ourselves completely over to whatever God leads us to do.

• Putting others’ needs before our own
• Loving not only those who love us but those who don’t
• Showing mercy and grace in our relations with one another
• Turning the other cheek and not demanding my rights if I have been wronged

(Just a very brief and incomplete listing of traits)

I challenge you today to think about this, “If I claim to be a Jesus follower, does my life show it – do others see it?”