Many television shows and films have often included blooper reels at the end of the showing where actors have sometimes broken character.
The reasons for the break in character range from forgetting lines, to co-stars mangling or over dramatizing their parts to the point of laughter. A character break in acting can be hilarious, but keeping character as a Christian is serious business.
Living as Christian in a world of sin is tough, tough and then tough again — and yet tough, but we’re expected to walk in Christ. We’re to live in the Lord’s strength because our own strength is not sufficient.
God has asked us to conform to the image of His son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our character must come to be like His, problem is, we weren’t born into His character, which makes it challenging to say the least.
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” – Psalm 51:5
No, we didn’t get off to a good start coming into this world, which God in His omnipotence knew, so He sent Jesus to die our death in sin and made a way by grace to redemption and everlasting life. In the meantime, we have some character lines that we need to rehearse.
We’ve been chosen to be lights in a world growing dim — and boy is it gettin’ dim round these parts! “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16
What a powerful thing the Lord has said about us! We are His lights — He has chosen us to be an example! That means we have a calling on us to bring others into the light. No, that is not being imposing, condescending or condemning on others — it is a straight up calling by the Almighty and we better take it seriously. You may be the only “Jesus” someone will ever know within your circle.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…” -Galatians 5:22-23
Don’t break your Christian character — and you will be tempted beyond belief to do so. The situations, circumstances and drama of life can and has led many of us to go au naturale in the flesh. But God knows that we are weak and dust and He has unbelievable and endless mercy — we are forgiven when we ask of it from Him.
So we fall down, sometimes a lot, but get back up and get back into character. We have to make it a practice staying in Christ’s character every day.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – Romans 12:2
I recently had someone tell me that my walk inspired them to take a deeper look at becoming a Christian. I take no credit, it all belongs to Jesus because He, and the prayers from me and others, have enabled me to be an example and it’s not easy. You never know who is watching, listening and weighing if you are about what you preach.
I am nowhere near finished, I still have many lines to rehearse and countless plays to star in — please pray that I stay in character.
