I was recently at a women’s conference, which
our admission ticket was a green bracelet to wear throughout the weekend. On
Saturday we had a 2-hour lunch break, so my group proceeded to the closest
restaurant. As we were waiting on our food, we couldn’t help hear the women
sitting behind us fussing at their waitress, about the food being delayed, and
not to their specifications. It was a bit awkward. When their bill appeared
they were even more disenchanted and marched to the checkout stand to inform
the waitress of their disapproval of the charges. That is when I saw the little green bracelet on her wrist, indicating
she was a Christian at this women’s conference.
This behavior caused me to reflect on my own
life. How do I react to others when things are not going particularly the way I
planned? Are my actions drawing people to Christ or pushing them away. I
started to think back on situations when I didn’t respond with much grace. Like
the day I was a little snappy with my husband, after we made it home from
church. The day I sighed and tapped my
fingers at the clerk that was so slow in checking me out as I wore my cross
jewelry indicating I was a Christian. By
these actions and attitudes, I concluded that I was doing just as the lady did
at the restaurant with the green bracelet.
After reflecting on this I had a few questions:
The first question was why do I do these things, I don’t want to do them. I am
reminded of Paul in Romans 7:14 – 25 paraphrased, I do what I don’t want to do and don’t do what I want to do. For I
have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but
the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. He proceeds in referring
to us in our sinful nature, which is our old nature. We must understand that
there is a battle that is going on within us and that is the battle between our
old nature and new nature.
So the next question, how can I live in my new
nature on a regular basis and not respond out of the old nature?
Romans
12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s
will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
When we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit
moves in and begins to overhaul us from the inside out. Our minds are
renewed--refreshed, renovated, --and that in turns transforms us, carrying over
into our actions. So the old ways of thinking are changed to reflect the image
of Christ. The way we live follows the way we think. The key to this is we must
make the choice to follow our new natures.
We might be the only Bible people read, so we
want to make sure they are seeing who Christ is by our attitudes and actions.
It may be in the grocery store, at work, in the car, at our child’s sporting
event or at a restaurant during a Women’s conference. We want to be different,
not blending in and reacting the way the world reacts. Because you never know
who is watching you…
