1 John 2:9
If we claim to be in the light and hate someone, we are still in the dark.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
The more I grow in my faith, the more easily I am convicted when I fall short. So when I checked out at Wal-Mart recently, I swiped my credit card and put it away in my wallet. The young cashier was distracted, marking the coupons I had just used before putting them into the cash drawer. She looked up and said, “The machine did not read your card. Please swipe it again.” I got the card out of my wallet and swiped it again while the cashier went back to marking the coupons.
Again, she looked up… and this time she punched several buttons and said, “Oh, it didn’t read the card. Please swipe it again.” Before I could stop myself, I sighed heavily, feeling somewhat frustrated, and pulled out my card and swiped it for the third time. It worked… she punched some buttons on her side of the register, and the transaction was completed. And I was embarrassed. I have a feeling my frustration had shown, and that was not a Christian attitude. I tried to smile, and I thanked her generously as I left, and she muttered, “You have a wonderful day”… and I didn’t feel I deserved her politeness at that point.
You may be thinking, “Get over yourself. This is a small thing.” But really, it’s not. When it comes to being a Christian, we truly can’t “have it both ways.” We can’t claim the name of Jesus on Sunday, while we are at church, and then curse the NFL coach who infuriates us that afternoon. We can’t say we love the Lord while we are calling others names.
We cannot profess to be disciples of Christ, and then walk around angry and mad at the world – or the people in it. We can’t talk about our faith in one breath and treat others rudely or disrespectfully in the next. We can’t sigh heavily in frustration at a clerk who is doing her job, because we are frustrated at a machine that doesn’t cooperate! If we really and truly have invited Jesus to send His Holy Spirit to live in and through us, we have to operate differently. Otherwise, we are still in the dark. We may think we have received the Holy Spirit and are living for Jesus, but we’re actually just going through the motions.
I think what bothered me more about the Wal-Mart thing was that I questioned after I left whether that girl knew I was a disciple of Christ. Did she see the Light of Christ in my behavior and demeanor? Did she hear His love, grace and mercy in the tone of my voice and the things I said to her? Or did she see someone who was operating in the dark?
What do others see when they are in your presence? Is the light of Christ evident? Do you reflect His teachings in your thoughts, words and actions? Or do you operate in the dark? The choice is ours… and it’s sometimes a tough one! But it does get easier, with practice and prayer. If you are struggling to operate in the light of Christ and exhibit His teachings, even in challenging or frustrating situations, ask God to help you. He will… and you will feel so much better.
I can’t change what happened at Wal-Mart, but I’ve asked God to forgive me… and to temper the cashier’s impression of me. I will learn and grow from this… with God’s help. And next time, I pray the Light of Christ will shine through, rather than darkness… and leave no question as to Whom I follow! Is your “Light” on these days?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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