Could you be convicted?

I'm sure you're familiar with the saying - "If you were accused of being Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"  My experience with this saying is it may pop up during bible study conversations, faith sharing groups, or among a gathering of people who all smile and nod because WE know the answer to that question.  I mean, isn't it obvious?  We're in ___________(fill in the blank with the appropriate church activity or function occurring right now).  Of course we are Christian.

Consider the following questions, and rate them on a scale of 1-5 (1 being never - 5 being always):

1.  When I am angry/frustrated/hurt, everyone knows it through my words/actions?  (don't forget about sighs, banging things on your desk, being rude because you're upset, frowning, negative body language, etc.)

2.  When I am impatient at home, do my words to my family become hurtful and terse?  (any toddler parents out there?  any teenager parents out there?  anyone with a preconceived notion of how a certain action MUST be completed or it isn't done right????)

3.  When I am in church, am I aware of precisely how long it took to do any of the following - sing the opening song, listen to a homily, length of the announcements, and how much time before I can 'continue on with my schedule'?

You get the idea . . . so add up your score.  But first, go back and note the honest answer to those questions.  Go ahead - I won't tell.  If your honest score is 3-6, I would like to meet you and learn from you.  For the rest of us, whether you scored 7-15, it's okay - we're human!  We're going to have challenges and bad days.  But, we can limit the collateral damage and make sure we can be convicted of being Christians.  Part of that is having a God-focus rather than a me-focus.

So consider one area where you can re-align your focus.  Pick something that may challenge you, but not so big that it overwhelms you.  And work on it.  It may be slow going, but it will be worth it.

Prayer - Lord, help me to live a Christian life through and through.  I want my words and deeds to proclaim that I am Christian.  It will be hard, so I ask for your grace and guidance, for with You, nothing is impossible (see Matthew 17:20, Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, Luke 18:27).