I asked someone the other day, “What stops someone from wanting to go to church and get spiritually involved in this walk with Christ?”
This person was quick to say:
“Who wants to follow someone who isn’t living what they say?”
That response really made me think.
I never realized just how much this can affect people.
People are watching us.
Not because we are perfect, but because when we say we belong to Christ, our lives become a reflection of what we claim to believe.
People want something real. They want to see authenticity. They want to know that the Jesus we talk about is the Jesus we actually live for.
Does That Mean We Have to Be Perfect?
No.
Choosing to live for Jesus does not mean that we will never make mistakes, struggle, or fall short.
It means that we choose to surrender because we believe.
We believe that Jesus is real.
We believe that He is Lord.
We believe that He is worthy of our lives.
So we need to live as though we believe.
There is a difference between being imperfect and being unwilling to change.
Authenticity doesn’t mean pretending that we have everything together. Sometimes authenticity looks like saying:
“I messed up. I was wrong. I need God. Please pray for me.”
That is still living for Christ.
What Are We Displaying?
It’s heartbreaking to realize that our actions can sometimes become a reason someone doesn’t want anything to do with Christ.
For those of us who know God is real, we have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to represent Him well and give people hope.
So I want to encourage you to look within yourself.
Ask yourself:
Am I displaying Christ, or am I becoming a stumbling block?
We are living in a time when people are searching for something genuine. They are looking for people whose lives match their words.
People may not open a Bible today.
They may not walk into a church today.
They may not listen to a sermon today.
But they may watch you.
And you may be the closest representation of Jesus that someone encounters.
That is an opportunity to be the light and not the stumbling block.
Let’s Examine Ourselves
This isn’t about condemning ourselves or pretending to be perfect.
It’s about taking an honest look at our lives and asking:
What am I displaying?
What does my life tell people about Jesus?
Am I drawing people closer to Him, or am I pushing them away?
We have to remember that our walk with Christ isn’t just about what we say on Sunday.
It’s about how we live Monday through Saturday, too.
It’s about how we treat people.
How we respond when we’re angry.
How we handle conflict.
How we love.
How we forgive.
How we respond when nobody is watching.
We should live what we believe.
A Reminder From Romans
Romans 14:11–13 says:
“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore, but judge this rather: that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.”
We will all give an account to God for ourselves.
So instead of focusing solely on what everyone else is doing, let’s examine our own walk.
Are we living what we believe?
Are our words and our actions telling the same story?
Are we pointing people toward Jesus?
Be the Light
Let’s be real.
Let’s surrender.
Let’s grow.
Let’s live what we believe.
And when we fall short, let’s humble ourselves, repent, get back up, and continue following Christ.
Because our goal isn’t to convince people that we are perfect.
Our goal is to show them that Jesus is worth following.
May our lives point people back to Him.
