“I am not here to please anybody but God.”
Have you heard of this excuse? Most Christians also think we should not please anybody but God. However, how can we become witnesses if we do not take care of our image?
Taking care of what others think about us does not mean we live to please them. But, it means we value our image since we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ.
Do others see Jesus in us in how we speak and do things?
Why we should take care of our image as Christians
Some Christians, especially in this generation, do not need anybody’s opinion about expressing themselves. Others may also think that they should not care about what others think of them. This kind of thinking is a kind of pride.
As we become more like Jesus Christ, we realize we should still care about our image as Christ’s ambassadors.
Here are some right reasons to consider why caring for our image is crucial in our Christian living.
Opportunity to evangelize
Women praying in the church. (Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels)
Colossians 4:5-6 says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Living with unbelievers is our opportunity to be different and to show what it means to have Jesus Christ in us. Bringing them closer to God could be challenging if we do not care about how they see us.
More so, it is easy to evangelize other people if they see the transformation in how we think, act, and speak. One of the reasons why others are hesitant to go to church or do not want to attend religious service is because they see leaders’ or members’ hypocrisy.
Shows how you value God
Two women with raised hands appear to worship God. (Photo by Luis Quintero from Pexels)The way we treat people shows the way we treat God. If we are not careful, we might say we love the Lord but not care about His creations.
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
If we give the hungry something to eat, water to the thirsty, invite a stranger into our house and provide clothes for those in need, we do these all to the Lord.
More so, God commands us to love even our enemies and those who do not like us. When we treat them kindly, we show that we value God because of our obedience.
Good reputation makes us an effective servant
A woman speaking in front of many people. (Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels)One of the qualifications for overseers and deacons is having a good reputation.
1 Timothy 3:7 says, “He must also have a good reputation with outsiders so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”
The devil will use every opportunity for us not to be an effective servant, so if we are not careful with how others see us, we might fall into his schemes.
Thus, people will not believe in you if you have a bad name in your community. You will not be an effective servant of God with having a bad reputation.
Apostle Paul also noted that we should be worthy of respect, which is not automatically given but earned.
People will glorify God through your actions
Volunteers assisting an elderly man. (Photo by RDNE Stock Project from Pexels)1 Peter 2:12 says, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
Others may accuse us of doing evil things, but they will still do good deeds when careful with how we treat them. The way we treat them despite their judgments of us could lead them to glorify God.
Thus, we have to take care of our image even to those who do not like us.
For the sake of others’ salvation
Two young women talking. (Photo by RDNE Stock Project from Pexels)Jesus Christ saved us to serve Him and to share the gift of salvation with others. If we are not careful with our actions, convincing them to accept Jesus Christ in their lives will be difficult.
Remember that we no longer live for ourselves but for Christ, who lives in us. Our lives are to show His truth and beauty. We are supposed to represent Him in all aspects of our lives.
Though it may seem challenging, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, it is possible to win souls through producing the fruit of the Spirit.
God changed our lives, and when we show these transformations to people, we are helping God save and transform more lives through us.
We are the light of the world
A man sitting on a truck’s roof. (Photo by Aidan Roof from Pexels)As Christians, we are the light of this dark world. Through our actions, people will see God and give glory to Him.
Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
If we care for our image as Christians, they will see the difference in our lives. They will be blessed with how we speak, act, and eventually praise the one who transformed us.
How to take care of our image as Christians
As we become a new creation and our old self is gone, we could still struggle to live in our new identity in Christ.
Here are some ways to help us care for our image as Christ’s ambassadors.
- Remember your purpose
As you have been reborn in the Spirit of Christ, you no longer live for yourself but for Him and His people. We aim to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds and to love our neighbors.
If we take care of our image for good reasons, we fulfill our purpose. We care for our integrity and reputation because we represent God’s identity.
- Fill your mind and heart with God’s word
God’s words are our fuel to do good and to avoid temptations. Filling our minds with the Scripture gives us the power to do good things despite how others treat us.
Besides, the more we meditate on God’s words, the Holy Spirit will continuously lead us to produce His fruit of love, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control.
- Be humble and open to discipline
We are still a work in progress, so there are still attitudes or characters that we still need to change. We should not be self-righteous and humble ourselves before the Lord.
If our pastors, parents, or other people say something about our attitude, we must evaluate ourselves and be open to discipline.
- Learn from your mistakes
Our mistakes must not define us but must refine us. When we learn from our mistakes, we have to make every effort not to repeat the same mistakes. God is so gracious and forgiving when we confess our sins to Him.
After asking for forgiveness, move on and work hard to do better.
God cares about the way we express ourselves
How we express ourselves towards others shows how we value God in our lives. While it is true that we should not seek validation from people, one way to seek confirmation from God is to take care of His name.
We carry God’s name, and He cares about how we express ourselves with His name.
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about Why we should take care of our image as Christians.
