Last week, we were reminded of God’s work through Paul. The command was very clear; we were encouraged to pray without ceasing that God may give us ways on how to speak of His Glory. For new believers like me, we need to be reminded how to live among non-believers and be steadfast in showing them the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. For the old believers, you need to be reminded of why you started in the faith and that you have to finish the race strong. As we all walk with the Spirit, regardless of our spiritual “tenure”, we need to make the most out of every opportunity to make Jesus Christ known and to represent Him well in our way of living; however, we all know that it is not easy.
It is truly a blessing to be reminded of the people Paul sent out to the Colossians and how Ptr. Jonathan pointed them out in our present lives. As a follower of Jesus, we need the following kinds of people: The Trusted One, The Useful One, The Sacrificial One, The Surprising One, The Committed One, The Prayerful One, and The Specialized One – and we hope that we don’t encounter The Disappointing One, although we know that there will always be one among us (if not us ourselves!). As I listened to each characteristic, I thought about the different kinds of people present in my life when I accepted Jesus. My heart filled with joy when I realized I have a complete set of them (yes, also with The Disappointing One, and I see that as a challenged burdened by God upon me). I am also excited about who else God lets me meet as I mature in my walk.
Thinking about the people around me and who they represent is easy but the greatest challenge emerged when Ptr. Jonathan closed his sermon with the question, “What do you think would be beside your name if I ask and how do you represent Christ?” As easy as it may sound, I couldn’t answer right away. It seems like I can’t just claim to be exactly like those mentioned – so I thought of where I am now in my walk. I think I would be The Transformed One. In this generation of “to see is to believe” mentality, I think God can use my testimony to bless others and to make them believe how the Spirit worked in my life when I started to follow Jesus. It is true, I somehow lost few friends when they couldn’t invite me anymore to all-nighters for beers and games – but I am happy to know the real friends who stay and affirm the changes in my life. I really do feel like I am The Transformed One and through this, I can easily speak of God’s intentional love for us and that no matter how tainted you are with sin, only faith in Jesus Christ can make us right with God again.
Who are you in Christ and how do you represent Him?
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