Don't Hide

What is our purpose?

   Sometimes I feel we as Christians have created a reputation for ourselves that is not appealing to the world. I think we get more caught up in "church" and less caught up in Christ. Now bear with me, this is not knocking a specific place or specific people.. I have visited a few churches and heard stories that are very similar over the years, it's a mere observation. I'm not saying I'm not guilty of anything I write in here either, I fall short more times than not.
  How do people see you outside of church? Are you the same person inside and out? I think we have it backwards. Christians don't need to see you living to give Glory to God as much as the world does. Being a Christian just on Sunday isn't living out God's will. Living is God's Will. It's being a light in the darkness. I can't remember who said it, but I heard a great analogy that I will try and paraphrase here:
[Christians are called to be the light of the world, not a light to each other. When you turn a flashlight on during the day, it's on, but doesn't do very much. But turn that very same flashlight on at night and it can light up a room.]    
  Living in the world as an example will create wonder and curiosity to make people ask "what's different?" and say "I want what you have". I have heard so many times  the view about "church people" and how they just do what they want as soon as they step out of the doors. OUCH. It breaks my heart, and makes me think "what am I doing or not doing when I'm outside of those walls? What actions that I myself have taken that would tribute to this mindset?"
   It can sometimes take YEARS of being an example and loving on a person to lead them to Christ. What if you turned them away with one action, or one word? All those years of work down the drain in a millisecond. Or worse, what if your action or word turned them away from Christ forever?

Don't allow your down fall to cause someone to fall down. We have a purpose and we need to work together, not for power, not for authority, but to further His Kingdom.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden."- Matthew 5:14 NLT