What people hear Christians say can be vastly different from what they observe.
People wonder: "Love your neighbor? Then why are you bad-mouthing them? Why are you gossiping about them? Why are you turning your back on them?" If Christians are supposed to be loving, why are so many churches rife with internal strife and people splitting off?
Sometimes, we Christians do not demonstrate what it means to follow Jesus Christ. And people will always believe our actions before they believe our words.
But living Jesus' teachings all the time, without fail, is easier said than done. Sometimes, we fail miserably.
Still, when we declare ourselves to be Jesus Christ's disciples, we should strive to live a new life. We should bear witness to the goodness and grace of who Jesus is and what he can provide. We should demonstrate to everyone what it means to be a part of the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus taught these lessons for us to live to their fullest: Love your enemy; pray for those who persecute you; go the second mile; forgive as you would like to be forgiven; do not judge or insult others; do not lust after what is not yours; let your yes be yes and your no be no; don’t make a show of what you do; seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; build your faith on solid foundation.
When Jesus' teachings are lived to the best of our ability, we can truly exhibit the kingdom of heaven to the world.
How will you demonstrate your willingness to live the teachings of Jesus to the best of your ability?
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Living perfectly isn't easy, but we should try