On Being a Christian

I often wonder why people chose to be Christians? One thing is sure Christ never promised anyone a comfortable life. In fact if it were in the world of business, Christ would not be hired as a public relations personnel. He warns us thus, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever loses his life for my sake will save it”, (Lk. 9:23-24). What! In another place he says, “Foxes have dens, birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head”, (Mt. 8:20). So? Again he says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household”, (Mt 10:34-36). What about this other words of Jesus, “Go sell what you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in Heaven. Then come and follow me”, (Mk. 10:21).

There are other profound teachings that would make a would-be Christian weak in the knee and even cause him or her to change his or her mind about actually becoming a Christian. Forgive, don’t be angry, do not judge, do not call your brothers and sisters names, settle with your opponents quickly, do not commit adultery, do not divorce your wife, do not swear, offer no resistance to one who is evil, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, give alms and pray at all times putting all your trust in your heavenly father. These are all very powerful words that come from the lips of our Savior and Master, Jesus Christ. And anyone who lives by these words cannot but experience the kind of peace that the world cannot give. No wonder the psalmist says, “Great peace have they who love your law, oh Lord”, (Ps. 119:165).

Being a Christian calls on us to stand up and stand out. It demands that we be different. Everything I have written in the first paragraph points to the revolutionary stand that a Christian must take in order to bring about a radical change in society. It is only those who adhere to the teaching of Christ that will experience the joy of being a Christian. Christ warns, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees you will not enter into the kingdom of Heaven”, (Mt. 5:20). It is not enough to be like everyone else but we must add value to the life of everyone one else. Being a Christian does not mean taking a walk in the park with fragrance of flowers caressing our nose while the birds fill the air with their melodious songs. No, it is much more than that. It means being the light in the darkness so that people will see the light of God and seek to follow it. Yes, being a disciple costs not less than everything. We must certainly deny ourselves and follow in the footsteps of the Master daily. That is what it means to be a Christian, doing what Christ wants me to do, not what I want. It means answering the call to be a child of God in word and in deed. This was how Christ saw his mission in the world. “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. Then I said, “As it is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’” (Heb. 10:9). Now I know why people become Christians and why I am one myself. It is in following Christ that I find myself and in finding myself, I find the God who created me for himself.