Daily Delight
I have a coworker and friend who is a self-proclaimed atheist. From the moment I met her, I began to pray and ask God to open a door for me to talk to her about Him. Now, it is no secret that I am a Christian, and I talk openly with her about God and what He has done for me. As it turns out, she was raised in a Christian home, but when she began questioning her beliefs, her parents were intolerant and kicked her out of the house. She told me that every Christian she has ever met has been a terrible person, from girls who bullied her in school to men who made inappropriate advances towards her. This breaks my heart, but I tell her time and time again that those people have nothing to do with who Jesus is.
As shocking as it is, just because a person goes to church and calls themselves a Christian doesn’t mean they are one, or that they’re even saved. The only way to know if someone is genuinely following Christ is by their fruit. “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act” (Matt. 7:15-16, NLT). Our actions produce fruit, and our fruit is how others know that we are not just talking the talk, but also walking the walk.
In Ephesians, Paul says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1, NIV). I want to encourage you to realize the witness and the influence that you have on the world and to never undermine the importance of your character and the way you live your life. I have found that although I can talk to my coworker about God all day long, there are times when she doesn’t care or want to know what I have to say. That’s why every day when I go to work, I try to be patient, I am always honest, I love customers who are difficult to love, and I bear with my coworkers on difficult days.
