This past weekend was a holiday that all Christians enjoy: Easter. It is the day that we celebrate our Lord, Jesus, and His resurrection. We celebrate this holiday with our family and friends, go to services throughout the weekend starting on Good Friday, go on Easter egg hunts, and just have a ball while enjoying that He is risen.
Within today's society, it's often confusing to figure out what anyone's religion really means; even Christianity has a skewed view of what it means to be "Christian." There are people in this world who often say that they are "believers in God," yet their actions are nowhere near what we call "Christian." So, what does it mean to be "Christian?"
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary says that Christianity is "the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ" and to be Christian is to be "like Christ." So, how does one be like Christ? Let's take a quick look at some of the character traits of Jesus of Nazareth to see what it means to be Christian.
1. Jesus is compassionate
Jesus never looked away from anyone, and He looked upon people with compassion (Matthew 9:36). Whenever people were around Him, Jesus understood their needs and sought to address them. He took time to actually notice that people were hurting and in need; and, His compassion drove Him.
2. Jesus is a servant
Although Jesus was praised as a great teacher with an incredible following, He was the epitome of what it meant to be a servant. In Mark 10:45, He even tells everyone that "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve ..." He had the authority to be pampered like a king, but he was the one who did all of the pampering.
3. Jesus is loving
Jesus claimed that there is no better love than to die for someone, and He did that by being put upon the cross. He died for every single soul in this world so that people may live through Him.
4. Jesus is forgiving
While Jesus was on the cross, bearing all of the pain of the world's sin and the physical pain of crucifixion, He forgave everyone and proclaimed that to God. No matter how much someone has hurt you, you should have room for forgiveness.
5. Jesus is humble
Jesus had every single opportunity to just stop what He was doing to tell people that He is God and could do whatever pleases Him, but He didn't. He knew that He had a mission, and stayed committed to everyone, for them, not for Himself.
I would continue on with many other character traits of Jesus, but I don't want to sound super preachy, like I may already be. Although these are some of the basics of what it means to be a Christian, others have misunderstood the practices and teachings that Jesus had offered us.
For example, Jesus said we should be community with other believers, but that doesn't mean we need to go to church every Sunday. Some of the most faithful Christians I know don't even go to church anymore because work or something else in life has got in their way; but, they still make time for people that share their faith, even if it is not in a "church" setting.
A lot of Christians I know have the mouth of a sailor, yet they know more Scripture than the pastor knows at times.
There are even some of my Christian friends who may have not been to church or read the Bible in many years, yet they go out everyday to serve people because they know it's the right thing to do.
OK, I feel that I am starting to become preachy again, so let me wrap up my thoughts. To be a Christian doesn't necessarily mean you have to follow Jesus' teachings word-for-word, but you should try your best to do so. Everyone walks a different path of life, even Christians who go to the same church as you walk different paths than you. Next time you may think or see someone say that another is not acting "Christian," do not let them judge that person.
"There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you -- who are you to judge your neighbor?" James 4:12 (NIV)
