I have decided (Pt.2) – Being Christian

I watched a cooking show recently. The host was making lasagna, and I was struck by her attention to detail throughout the process. She made the spinach pasta sheets from scratch, the tomatoes that would become part of the sauce were picked at the right time, plump, ripe, and fit for the purpose. The host travelled to Italy to procure a special type of cheese, ripened to perfection. Layer upon layer she put the dish together, tossing in a surprise ingredient here and there. What she pulled out of the oven after all her meticulous work can only be described as a work of art. But it could never have been achieved without her commitment to the process.

Becoming who Christ has called us to be begins with our commitment to be followers. We decide to embark on that lifelong journey of being a Christian and embrace its challenges and processes. We learn from the Master through the scriptures and everyday experiences. We do our best, leaning on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to apply what he teaches us. We learn how to obey. We learn how to learn. We learn how to be holy. We learn how to trust God through all circumstances. We may not understand all his ways and plans as he adds a surprise ingredient here and there, but we learn to yield to his will, and trust that he knows what he is doing. Every now and again, we see the fruit (or lack thereof) in our actions and attitudes toward others and in our reactions to various circumstances. We fail and get back up again. We are disciplined and pruned. On and on we go… Layer upon layer, our meticulous Master builds us.

Being a Christian is not about whether we have become perfect; it is, as one author put it, whether the arrow has left the bow.

How committed are you to the journey that is being a Christian?

I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me… (Gal. 2:20)