Previously I wrote about the conflict between our Christianity and our American culture, in that post I mentioned that I would be writing about what we can do to bring our lives more in line with the New Testament. This is my first post in a series on this, I offer these thoughts humbly as what I am working towards in my life.
1. Read the Bible more
These first two may seem too basic to some folks, but they are the building blocks of living our faith in any context. The world we live in one where the post-modern thought (characterized by moral relativism) is the dominant viewpoint. It’s not uncommon to hear people say in one breath that they are Christians, but they don’t think Christ is the only way of salvation. To be able live our faith accurately we need to know what it really is.
2. Pray more
Personally I find that praying more often and more deeply gets my mind straight and makes it easier to see what God intends for us. If our actions are not undertaken with God at the center, they will not be successful.
3. Small financial decisions can have a big impact
The bible is clear about the conflict and incompatibility of loving God and loving money (Matt. 6:24). The consumer culture in the US makes this one of the toughest challenges we face. One of the best ways to start to change your view of consuming is to align your spending with your heart. Tithing and straight out charitable contributions are the correct place to start, but there are other ways to do this too. Are you a coffee drinker? Take a look at Grounds for Good with not only sells fair trade certified coffee, but donates per bag to ministries or charities you can choose. Want some cool casual shoes? Check out Tom’s Shoes which donates shoes to children in 3rd world countries 1-for-1 for your purchase. These are two companies I am a customer of, but there are more options as well.
4. Meet your neighbors
As a suburbanite myself I know how tough this one can be. We cannot live out the call to make disciples if all we do is stay in our houses and never engage those around us. Relationships lead to trust and conversations which open the door to explaining our faith.
5. Know what to say, but don’t rehearse it
Now, I will admit this is one of those things that may vary from person to person, but this is certainly my approach these days. I hate rehearsed speeches in conversation. I’d really dislike it if my friend, who I know and trust, tried to tell me what they believe and why by digging up a memorized 5 point list they learned in youth group years ago. If we are to approach people with the gospel we must be prepared to speak this truth in a way that relates to where they are. This goes back to #1, but to do this we need more than a superficial knowledge of Scripture.
6. Serve your church AND your city
I credit this one to the Austin Stone. As part of the partnership agreement at the Stone we agree to serve the church and the city separately. The thrust being that ministering to other Christians is important, but so is reaching out. To make new disciples we must go to where there are none. Also, I would say that you don’t have to work with Christian ministries exclusively. We can show Christ’s love through many different actions and groups. If you have a heart for a cause or people that the church isn’t serving, jump in anyway. As long as the organization is not hostile to Christians or contradict our faith we should be willing to work with many different groups.
7. Live in community
If you don’t already, find Christians to live and do life with. A Christian community helps us stay on the path, keeps our priorities in line and gives up the encouragement to keep going. Find a mentor, learn from someone who has been through the struggles and learn from them. Find non-Christians and build deep relationships with them – not as a project for you to ‘save’ but because you love them. As God is the only one who does the saving we should not be so focused on conversion that we turn people into projects or numbers. Love them, speak truth when you have the opportunity and pray that the Holy Spirit softens their heart.
This is a short list, but I hopes it helps us think about living lives intentionally focused on following Christ and showing his love to all of those around us. We are not called simply to our own justification and sanctification but to make disciples and spread the Word.
