A Tale of Two Christians

 I want to briefly share a story of two Christians. Similar to the story of the prodigal son, this story is intended to be a parable for us to learn an important lesson about living our faith.

 There was once two Christians. One was a man of God. Not a priest or anything, just a normal man that sought after God and his ways daily. He had a friend who was also a Christian. However, this second man was far from God.

 The First Man

Everyday, the two would go about their work, to earn a living for their families. The first man rose early from bed each day, prayed to God and listened for His direction. He read his Bible each day and was filled with joy because of what God was speaking into his heart.  He prayed before every meal, not to be seen by others, but because he truly felt gratitude for God’s blessing in his life. He was quick to love and serve others and was equally quick to forgive others who mistreated him. He wasn’t perfect by any means. But he knew that for all the good that he did everyday, were it not for what Jesus Christ did for him, he would be lost forever. He went to church every Sunday….as a form of worship. He went not to receive, but to worship and serve. Sometimes the message wasn’t as exciting or engaging as he would prefer, but he didn’t go to church to be filled. He went to worship and praise his Savior.

 The Second Man

The second man was also a good person. He rose early from bed to do his work, but he rarely thought about God and very rarely remembered to pray or thank God for his good fortune. And why should he? He worked very hard, and wasn’t the good career and money he was earning a result of his own hard work? He lived a very comfortable life and because of his self-sufficiency rarely thought about God. But if he ever needed God, he knew that He would be available. He felt proud because he was one of the “good people” and didn’t really need God’s love and grace. He felt sorry for all the other sinners out there, but was happy that Jesus loved them regardless of their sins. He served when he was asked to as long as it fit his schedule. But he couldn’t help but think that he had more important things he could be doing for God. Strangely, he never did the more important things, but chose to grumble and complain about what was was asked to do. Most importantly, he went to church every sunday. He loved the pastor and most of the time he received a good message, with lots of useful tips, which is why he kept going every Sunday.

 The  Outcomes

On the surface, both men would appear to be very similar. Both would appear to be Christian. God loved both of the men, but only one was a Christian in his heart. Jeremiah 17:10 says “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” 

 The Challenge

The lesson is that you may be able to “act” Christian, but to be a follower of Jesus Christ, you must BE a Christian with all your heart, mind, and soul.  God knows the difference even if you can fool everyone else.

Being a Christian means more than saying you are so, and going to church every Sunday. You must ever strive to live as God calls you to live. You must be in relationship with God, and humbly submit to His will everyday. Being a Christian means you are a follower of Christ. Are you following or trying to lead your own life?

So, think about the two men in this story. Which of the two men are you more like? If you find yourself relating more to the second man, I urge you to recommit your life to Christ, and humbly follow him every day of your life.