Disillusioned but Renewed in Thinking written by: Sister Cookie Highest Praise Radio Host/ On-Air Talent
Hear her on: Weekend Praise Saturday & Sunday 6-9pm EST
Growing up I had this idea of what Christianity looked like. There were individuals I use to look at and say, “These people are what it means to be a Christian.” They walked differently, acted differently, carried themselves in a certain way, and they had their particular religious group of friends in whom they associated, but so did the pharisees.
These folk were the elite of what I thought it meant to be a real Christian. I was wrong. So wrong. Wrong, wrong. Just wrong. That was my eyes as a child. So disillusioned. They had an appearance of being Christians, but honestly, they really were like everyone else. They were people with problems in need of a Savior. I came to see this as the years have gone by.
After college, I found myself working in what I thought was a likeminded community. My thoughts on this were Christian love and unity. I was wrong. I was so wrong. There were critics galore, manipulation, jealousy, emotional distress, unappreciation, backstabbing, and lies amongst some of the people. Nope, I was wrong with that too.
Let me be clear, I have had and have a relationship with Jesus. I pattern my life after His. I just thought while growing up and developing that those I had observed had gotten to a point where I wanted to be in my relationship with Christ. The reality is just like me, they were strengthening their relationship with Him day by day, too.
We are not to look to man as our example. They will fail you. You are only to look to God. I realize that “all have sinned and come short of The Glory of The God.”
What I thought was the epitome of what being a Christian should look like was only outward surface stuff. Only God can read the heart. People can ‘have the form of Godliness” 2 Timothy 3:5 KJV and deny the power thereof. The only true example of a perfect life is to follow the example of Jesus. He Is the only one we should pattern ourselves after. He knew no sin! He Is the Perfect One!
The Christian walk starts in the heart by allowing God to change the inward parts of you. Whether that change is in a man, woman, boy, or girl it must be changed by God. It is the heart that is to reflect the Image of Christ. When the heart is pure and follows Jesus, then it will be apparent on the outside. The true beauty of being a Christian will be like a candle stick burning on a hill.
No more disillusionment. My eyes are fixed on Christ for we are all walking this Christian Journey. No longer disillusioned.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Romans 3:23-24 KJV