Have you ever personally felt shame for being a passive Christian? Shame is the feeling that you get when you know that you are doing something wrong, but choose to accept your behavior. In my life, I see quite a few brothers and sisters in Christ struggling with being passive Christians. I only know this, because I was once in their shoes. Most of the time it is easier to accept that we are a failure than to change our attitude and the behaviors in our life.
One thing that sticks out in my mind is how many Christians talk the talk, but cannot walk the walk. It is great that you know some Bible verses by heart. I am sure that some of you try hard to put together a great prayer. What happens when Christianity is visible only through our words but not our actions? How does the world perceive us?
It is amazing that the closer you get to Jesus, the farther away from other Christians you become. This statement is not meant to judge others spiritual journey, but it does point out what happens when one spiritual journey hits full throttle.
Shame follows passive Christians.
The best example of a solid Christian in my life was my grandmother. Not only could she talk the talk, but she walked the walk every day in her life. You didn't even have to have a conversation with her to see the joy and light coming from her soul. When I was younger, I always wondered how she got to the point in her life where she had found so much peace.
Growing up attending Church on a weekly basis, I saw my fair share of Christians. I saw countless examples of people that believed in Jesus. Most of the examples that I saw were models produced by words, not action. As I continued my spiritual journey, I too fell captive of being a passive Christian. It took me most of my adult life to finally figure out what I was doing wrong in my spiritual walk. It took the hand of God smacking me on the back of my head to get me to change my course.
The point that my life changed, I felt shame. I felt ashamed because I knew better than what I was doing in my life. I became one with the world instead of one with the Lord. When you reach that point in your life where you realize you should have done better but didn't, it will hit you like a ton of bricks. Instead of letting guilt set in, I turned my attention to fixing things in my life that were hindering my relationship with God.
Why I am no longer a passive Christian.
If you think that you can be a devoted Christ follower by hiding in a box, you need to think again. Being a Christian is a choice. Being a follower of Christ is a journey that grows with time.
Acts 28:31 NASB preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
What good does it do me to be a closet Christian? I certainly wasn't ashamed of God, but I wasn't bold in proclaiming his name. If God was willing to let his one and only son be crucified on the cross for our sins, then shouldn't we honor that sacrifice?
I felt shame the moment that I was selfish, scared, passive, arrogant (you fill in the blank) to tell the world about God. If we can tell our friends, co-workers, neighbors and family about how good of a job our favorite sports team did over the weekend, then why can't we tell these same people about what God did for us?