“Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live.” Titus 1:16
If you were arrested today, taken to the courthouse, and put on trial for believing in Jesus, would the jury be shown enough evidence to convict you of the crime?
Now, I hope you’re not arrested today. But hopefully, this hypothetical question gets you thinking about the way you live.
Far too often Christians are tempted to believe their faith in God should be a private matter.
Yet, nowhere in the Bible does it say you should live a private life of faith. In fact, as believers, we are called to live out our faith publicly in such a way that others would see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven.
Imagine someone being a huge sports fan, but they never watched a game, never wore any teams’ colors, and never talked about any of the players or the games with the people around them. Instead, they just quietly cheered for their favorite team silently in their heart. Technically, they would still be considered a fan of the team, but they would definitely be missing the best part.
Our faith in God is no different. We were not designed to live a private life of faith. Instead, God created us to be in community with one another. To gather regularly for worship, to share each other’s burdens, to lift each other up, to pray together and serve together.
To put it simply, we’re better together.
When we get disconnected or isolated from other believers, we’re tempted to live a life where we become the center of everything. What’s in this for me? How does this serve my needs? Pride, greed, lust, laziness, and all other forms of sin creep in and draw us away from living the life God created us for. The one that is more fulfilling and rewarding where he is at the center of our decision-making.
So today, remember God is with you everywhere you go. Ask him to show you the better way to live and trust him as he does!