Wednesday 14 September 2011

So; Just What is the Point of Being a Christian?

One of the reasons why I like Atheists is that they ask questions that some Christians will not ask.  If we as Christians are prepared to ask tough questions, even questions we feel are hard to answer, then we can at least have answers for anyone who wants to know about our faith.

Before you try and change the world, perhaps you might try and change yourself first!  With God, we can change, and we can change for the better too.

So, just what is the point of being a Christian?  Is it to be a better person?  Yes, I think so.  Is it to give us purpose in what can be a meaningless life?  Yes.  Is it to understand that we are part of a community?  Yes.  Is it so we can get closer to God, and walk in His ways?  That’s the way it is for me anyway.


God moves in mysterious ways; I have understood that much about Him!  When we try to fully understand Him, or put Him conveniently in a box, He always seems too big for any definition we might have for Him.  What church or cathedral could contain Him, when He created the whole vast universe?


If God has called you for whatever reason, the point of being a Christian might at first just be being obedient to that call and learning in every way to be a Christian.  Being obedient to God’s discipline and teachings is a great part of Christian living, perhaps the most important part.

The point of being a Christian for me is finding God in the everyday, a God who is big enough to create everything but intimate and tender enough to make a difference in our everyday lives.  He is the God who can be relied on, the God who can be trusted, the God who, when everything and everyone can let us down, is always there for us.  When we strike up a friendship with Jesus, every day is special and every day can be different.


St Paul knew just what was the point of being a Christian after spending a chunk of his life being a Pharisee.  Being so wrapped up in religion, he eventually saw the error of his ways; and likewise so can we all.  I think we are all trapped in our error until Jesus shows us the way.

2 comments:

  1. Amen & amen! I agree completely, Tim. Very well said! I was just pondering on the same thought this morning. I was thinking on how I see the "bad side" in people these days & I asked Him to please forgive me. Then I remembered (which I believed was a prompting from the Holy Spirit) that that's why we must focus on God always & not on people so we can never lose sight of why we're Christians. When we look at people we'll always get disappointed & discouraged but God has given us the hope that any man can be like Jesus if we only trust in Him. Be blessed always!

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  2. Hi Mara; as ever, I really appreciate your well-honed comment! As you say, focussing on God is vital; it's keeping our eyes on the prize if you like. He can work miracles in our lives, if we let Him.

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