Episode 6 (2/21/2020)
The New Christian Podcast
Title: How to Live Out Your Faith in the Home
1.
Greetings
Live your faith. It’s a phrase that we hear often in
church or from mentors and peers, but it can be difficult to articulate what
that really means. For such a simple phrase, we often feel paralyzed with how
to act on the words and live our faith in our everyday lives. But we want to
flip the script and make it easy to start living our faith out loud boldly.
Living your faith is not something that is only
confined to the four walls of the church, like volunteering in the nursery or
leading a Sunday school class. Instead, it’s every day, outward expression of
your love for God and what He is doing in your life. It’s a choice that we must
make, and it’s one that impacts everyone around us. Below are five ways to
intentionally live your faith in simple, everyday actions. You’re probably
already doing some of these things in your own life, and you didn’t even
realize that you were ministering to those around you!
Be a friend.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in
humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 CSB
Who knew that living your faith could start with
something as simple as being a friend to others? Being a good listener and
attentive friend to those around you expresses Christ’s love through you, shows
others that you care and that they’re important to you. There’s nothing more
frustrating than trying to have a serious conversation with a friend, and they
can’t be bothered to look up from their phone long enough to engage with you.
Choose to be intentional with your relationships and treat others how Jesus
treated others. Be authentic, and inclusive, and your friends will see God’s
love shining through you.
Who comes to mind when you think of who you could be a
better friend too? Does someone come to mind that you might want to start a
friendship with?
Use your gifts.
Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve
others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10-11 CSB
The Lord has blessed each of us with unique gifts that
we can use to further His Kingdom. Sometimes, we don’t even realize we have
those gifts, but they’ve been given to us for the purpose of living and sharing
our faith. For example, if you love surprising the people in your life with
handwritten notes and words of affirmation, you may want to start a card
ministry. Come up with a list of all of your loved ones and people in your life
you want to bless, and start sending them cards of encouragement that include
Scriptures. All of a sudden, you’ve taken your gift of words and started using
it to live your faith out loud to the people around you! You can turn any gift
into a ministry whenever you’re choosing to honor the Lord with it.
Think about the gifts God gave you. What is an easy
way for you to put just one of those gifts into practice to glorify God?
Radiate
positivity.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit
dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 CSB
Living your faith can be as simple as just having a
positive attitude! Every morning, before we even get out of bed, we have a
choice to make as to whether or not we will be positive or look for all of the
small things to worry about. People take notice of our attitude and actions,
and it’s our task as Christ-followers to be an example for others in this
way. There is always going to be
something that goes wrong or doesn’t go as planned, but we have the freedom to
choose how we react to it, and we can choose to react by glorifying God with
our attitude, and in turn, living our faith.
Try to simply smile at one or two strangers today,
you’ll be blessed by how it makes you feel and you never know what kind of
impact it can have on their day!
Show your
gratitude.
Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for
you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 CSB
We all have things to be thankful for, but it can be
easy to overlook them or take them for granted if we aren’t consciously
recognizing the blessings around us. When you are actively seeking things in
your life and the lives of those around you to show gratitude for, the people
around you can’t help but take notice. Thank your friend for taking the time to
listen to you when you’ve had a rough morning. Thank your barista for always
having a smile on their face while making your morning coffee. Thank your boss
for taking the time to meet with you before a big presentation. Thank your
spouse for folding the laundry so you could take some extra time for yourself.
Finding the time in your day to recognize and react to the things around you
will open your eyes and the eyes of others to the kindness and blessings that
God has provided for you.
Go one step further, write a note or two to let
someone know how grateful you are for them. Your simple words of encouragement
will build them up and may cause a ripple effect.
Do your best.
Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something
done for the Lord and not for people. Colossians 3:23 CSB
Comments
Post a Comment