One thing I learned about being a Christian (Catholic) is that Christians should try to be as nice as possible but are not supposed to be nice all the time, being nice just for the sake of being nice.
If a Christian is confronted with the chance to speak what he or she believes in, he or she is not expected to cower in fear like a shrinking violet. A Christian must always stand up for what he believes in, must not be shy about standing up for Christ and Christian ideals. He may hurt other people in the process without intending to, but that’s the risk of being a Christian.
You don’t say things just to be nice. You have a duty to tell the good news about God’s work in your life, and if you don’t, you’re a complacent, lukewarm follower. Having received freely God’s love and forgiveness, you are expected to give the same freely, bringing the good news no matter who they are you’re encountering. You are expected to bear fruit, to at least touch lives in a profound way, and if you don’t, expect to be cut down like the barren fig tree.
A Christian is neither a pushover or a wallflower. He or she may be shy in personality but should not be timid if the situation calls for some amount of boldness.
A Christian must forget himself when he is instructed to proclaim God’s goodness. He must bear in mind that he is not doing it for himself but for the greater glory of God.
Ironically, a Christian is also expected to be submissive to the workings of the Holy Spirit if he (or she) expects to receive any grace at all. He must learn to tame the tongue when its usage is uncalled for. He must learn to hear God in silence, in meditation. He must learn to wait, to be humble enough to acknowledge that, if it were not for God’s goodness, he would not have been saved. He must never be boastful, and if he find himself boasting, he must “boast in the Lord.”
We can say that Christianity is a matter of delicately balancing these seeming extremes, seeming opposites. Sometimes, it can feel like you are balancing a pole while crossing a live wire. It may not necessarily feel that way. One thing about God is that He is a patient, loving God. He understands us when we fall; all that’s required of us is to repent and humbly seek His help. But all in all, He wants us to enjoy life as we try to perfect the Master’s no-less-than-idealistic, unadulterated precepts.
10.18.2001
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