Would you feed a slice of pizza to a baby? Would you expect the tiny tot to gum the whole thing down, peperoni and all?
Of course not. Pizza is not baby food.
But why isn’t it? The baby could probably handle it (although I’m not cleaning up afterward), why not feed babies pizza? If a baby eats pizza then it becomes baby food, right?
When we say that pizza is not baby food, what we are really saying is that pizza is not GOOD baby food.
The Difference Between Existing and Being Good
I think there is a similar distinction between being a Believer and a Christian.
We are Christians, but what does that actually mean? We go to church, and we sing songs, and don’t drink too much, and don’t say swear words, and generally try to be nice to people. But is that good Christianity?
Believers vs Christians
I see it this way; a believer is someone who believes in Christ. Jesus said that if anyone believes in Him, then that person is saved. But isn’t there more?
Being a Christian, however, means that you follow Christ; you are a follower. You decide to identify yourself with Christ so much that you now bear his name.
That means a good Christian will follow Christ’s example no matter what. Just as a good baby food is nutritious and good tasting, a good Christian follows Christ and serves him in the way that he asked. Just because you are a believer doesn’t mean you are a good Christian.
Hard to Swallow
So is anyone a good Christian? I’m not, at least not by these criteria, and I wonder how many people truly are. So if you are not a good Christian, if your definition is shallow and wide, then deepen it. Follow him, get to know him.
Don’t just read the Bible because you have to; read the Gospels and feel the story unfolding before you. This amazing man on the pages is asking you to follow him, even now, after he’s no longer on this earth. That’s crazy in other contexts, but not here. Why isn’t it?
Really begin to read and listen. Don’t look for spiritual truths or deep insights, just read and really take in the seemingly crazy things that Christ says. Things like “you must eat my flesh”; if you heard someone say that out loud on the street you would probably cross. Or at least keep a safe distance. But we read that in the Bible and we usually skip over it as just something Jesus said. If you really think about it, there’s far more to this whole Christian experience than just going to church and hanging out with Christians.
Do you know why Jesus is worth following? Are you willing to be a Good Christian?
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