Christian Life - Discipleship

Ruth Bell Graham writes of an encounter she had with a young Indian student named Pashi. She spoke with Pashi about Christ, to which he replied, "I would like to believe in Christ, and many in India would like to believe, but we have never seen a Christian who was like Christ."

A friend of Mrs. Graham told her to tell Pashi, "I'm not offering you Christians. I am offering you Christ." Good point. No one will ever be excused for not believing in Christ on the basis of Christians' lack of faithfulness. On the other hand, we should ask ourselves the question, "What does a person look like who says he's a follower of Christ? Should Christians be like Jesus Christ?" Perhaps the most well-known answer to that question is the description given of David: a man after God's own heart, committed to doing all of God's will. Perhaps, then, that's what a Christian should be - a person committed to doing all of God's will. If a government order were issued to arrest everyone who "appears" to be a Christian, would you be incarcerated?

The person after God's heart is the person whose own heart seeks first the kingdom of God. (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 9/29/03)