Posted by Adeliyn Lim • Apr 19, 2022
Being Christian is one thing but being a good example is a tough subject to take on. It is one thing to know God and have a relationship with Him, but modeling it to others is a different ballgame. I personally hold this in tension as I grapple with the relationship I have with God, what I know of God from the Bible and the leaders I look up to, but to be honest it is an ever-evolving thing because I have grown more mature in some areas and yet find it hard to let go of what I have been taught even if it was flawed and does not stand up to scrutiny by the Word.
Reflecting on this weekend, I am reminded that the patriarchs have gone through this many times in their journeys as well. Peter was confronted in a dream that in death Jesus had made the unclean clean (Acts 10:9-16). The patriarchs of the Jerusalem council had a debate on whether they still had to follow the Torah (Acts 15). Time and again the Bible says bring it to the test in the Word and see if it holds up.
Kaitlin Curtice, a Potawatomi Nation member and Christian wrote this Easter weekend, “If you’re just not really sure what you believe or why you believe it, I’ve saved you a seat. I know we are supposed to have it “figured out” but that never really gave me a full spirituality. Questions, though they are hard, pull me toward something Sacred.”
Just as it was then, so it is today. Being a Christian is not about ticking off boxes and conforming to the idea of what a “good Christian” is. It is about knowing who God is really, taking in all the aspects and not just subscribing to parts that we like. God is not just a good teacher/healer/Father, He is God. A complex being who is loving, full of grace, mighty, consistent, loves justice, slow to anger and so much more! Above all, He is Holy.
Believing that the Redeemer lives is a lifelong exercise in redeeming myself in Him and allowing others to be redeemed to Him in light of what they see through me. In doing so, it is in faith that the story of Jesus continues to give hope and a future to those around me even as I work through my faith, and I hope this encourages you as well.