Where Does Your Name Stand?

I've had a few conversations lately with my son about telling lies.  In those conversations, God has really taught me a few things that I walked away with.  I have learned that a name is a very powerful thing and is very important to consider in all I do. 

For example, my name is David Ashworth.  If you knew me and someone said my name in your presence, a few things would happen in that first split second.  Typically in that instant, a basic approval or disapproval would be shown.  Watch a person when you mention a name they know.  They will either smile or they will express some sort of disgust, sadness or any other array of emotions.  In that split second, a person's natural reaction is an indicator of how they feel about a name.  Beyond that, they may even say something or tell a story about that person.

The choices you make in your life affect your name.  The ultimate sign is at a funeral.  Some people live lives that bring great tears, laughter, joy and even sorrow when they pass.  Others however get a "good riddance" when they move on.  Some get a little of both.  A funeral is a sobering moment.  At the end of a person's life, there are three judgments:

1.  How you feel about yourself.

2.  How others feel about you.

3.  How God feels about you.

Those three judgments should keep us awake at night just by themselves, yet sometimes we live as if none of those judgments were coming.

Michelle and I listened to a story called Affabel.  The characters were named based on their attributes.  "Selfish", "Charity", "Sorrow", "Anger", "Joyful" and many other names.  While we rarely would have those names in our culture, when someone states your name, those emotions are tied with the announcement of you.  How you treat people is important. How you interact is very important.  Your name is on the line in everything you say and do.

So is this entire post about how to be prideful, fake and conceited for your reputation?  Not hardly.  You see, the biggest issue of your name is this:  If you are a Christian, you have tied your name to another name.  A name much greater than yours.  Your name is tied to Jesus.  Never would I recommend you preserving your name for your own pride or standing.  The sad fact is that people who do not know Christ will get an initial picture of Him through you.  So in the grand scheme of things, your name is more valuable than your very self.  It can have an impact on the salvation of someone else.

Live your lives honorably.  Love every person you meet, even if they hate you.  Honor God in all you do.  Those that love Jesus will reflect Him, a name much greater than their own.  In preserving our name in all we do, we exalt the name of Jesus, who's name is above all names.

God bless,

Dave

Are you a safe Christian?

This last week, I had a Christmas party at our house and there were 42 people there including kids.  I say this not to announce that I had a big party, but that night, I really felt like we had a family get together.  We had some laughs, we praised God and shared a meal together.  These people had spent the entire year together and many were well vested into each other.  Regardless of the background, we were a family of believers celebrating Christ's birth together.

The more I think about church, the more I believe we are supposed to be family to each other.  In the book of Acts, they regularly opened their homes to each other, they cared for each other, they shared burdens together, they suffered persecution together.

You see, I believe there is a day coming when "safe Christianity" will be no more.  You may be asking what that is.  My definition pertains to a faith that costs you nothing, requires you to risk nothing and requires you to give nothing.  I believe there are a lot of safe Christians in America and I think a time will come that many of those believers will have to make a choice.  They will either be all in or all out.

When that time comes, it will be important that you have a real church family.  It will be important that you have a family that you trust and that you can lean on when hard times come.

A safe Christian doesn't need a family.  Allowing people in their lives makes them vulnerable, so it's not safe.  Having to give money to help others out in family may put safe Christians in a place where they get taken advantage of.  Not only that, safe Christians realize that Christians are still people and sometimes, people hurt other people and they should not risk such a relationship.  They know that an engaged Christian will lose time, money, resources, emotions and will put their hearts at risk. The safe thing to do is go to a church that is big enough to sneak in, listen to the sermon and sneak out.  No need to talk to Christians because most are hypocrites anyway.

I have news for you:  If you are a human being, more than likely, you have been a hypocrite.  Christianity is not an exclusive club for hypocrites.  Unfortunately, they are everywhere. 

People in the church will hurt you at times, but you forgive them because family is important.  When they are hurting financially, you give to help them, not because it's the Christian thing to do, but because Jesus has set a love in you that you give to others to honor that love from Him.  You listen, you learn, you refine yourself during conflict, you hurt with others, you cry out to God on behalf of others and in the end, God will refine you to something that is more like Him.

You see, safe Christians miss the refining process and when hard times come, they are unequipped and unprepared for catastrophe or loss.  The engaged Christian is refined by family through faith, hope, love, remorse, sorrow and suffering.  God gets them through it all and in the end, they walk in the security of His grace and a covenant love that will never be forsaken.  The engaged Christian learns, by faith, to stand.

So find a God family to love.  It's messy, it's difficult, but it's worth it.