We were asked in church last week to write down what we thought it meant to be an authentic Christian. Wow! They handed out pieces of paper to do it right away. I have to honest. I didn’t hand my paper in. That question prompted such a response in my heart and spirit that it was one of those that I really needed to chew on. I couldn’t just put an answer down. It stuck me deep. What does it mean to be an authentic Christian? Ok, after thinking about it for a few days (yes, I am a really deep thinker 🙂 ) I have to tell you I am STILL chewing on that! Why? I am really not sure. I do believe that a true authentic Christian should be DIFFERENT! Really DIFFERENT! That’s the short answer. But to explain a little more……………. Different than the normal response, the normal reaction, the normal talk, the normal thoughts, the normal mindsets. I could have just thrown out scriptures. I could have wrote down a bunch of good sounding sentences. I didn’t want to. I took the time so far to be seeking the Lord and saying how is it that people who don’t really know me would look at me and know that I am a Christian? My prayer is that I react and respond like Jesus. Hmmmmm, let’s see. When I am faced with someone talking about me and have just accused me of something I didn’t do………I desire to not defend but have a knowing that I don’t have to defend and I can still bless that person. When I have fear about something, to be able to express to my Father in Heaven and have Him speak to Me and turn my fear into faith. When I am faced with the situation to have to tell truth….my response is to tell truth in love since love is the very expression that Jesus died on the cross for us. That when faced with a situation that seems impossible and that I have to die to my own will to see God’s plan in it…..that my response would be “not my will, but your will be done” and have peace about that. That when worry wants to arise in me because I am faced with a medical diagnosis of myself or someone close, that my response would be to pray without ceasing and thank Him in everything and quote scripture like I truly believe every single word with confidence. When I need wisdom for a situation, I desire my response to be one of running to God, asking for His wisdom, not moving in my own initiative, but how the Holy Spirit directs me and not to TV, magazines, other people, etc. ………..I really could go on…..so many things made Jesus sooooo different and that is what we are to be aspiring for…..a more Christlike heart…..it starts with the heart. The difference that people see starts with the hearts that turn into actions. Words only last so long. Wanna know what I think a true authentic Christian looks like? When we are really really squeezed in life, when life has got you down, twisted all around, questions on one side or another………and you are STILL trusting God and still oozing with His peace and that LOVE is the very aspiration that you are living for and trying to achieve. The agape love for everyone just like Jesus. To be able to look past status, stature, fame, success, clothing, appearance, even attitudes and have LOVE for all that God has for us through all of our stuff, our attitudes, our wrong mindsets……He first loved us when we weren’t even paying attention or outright rejected Him……He still loves us……when we turn our backs on Him, curse HIm and put other things first, He still loves us………..Do we have that LOVE for all? My prayer is that each day my heart is broken more for the things that break His heart and I continue to learn to love the way He loves to show myself different even when the going is tough……I came to Christ because His love was different and when I finally realized how different His love was for me……..despite how I treated Him…hmmmmmm….I want people to know I love them as He does…..Lord, continue to show me how I can show true, authentic Christianity with the beautiful, agape, unconditional love to all.