It has been a long day of travel just two days after my husband had gall bladder surgery. We decided to stop in North Carolina on our way from Georgia to Virginia so he wouldn’t be too tired.
Too late! My man is beat! Were we crazy to do this? Probably!
In spite of his misery, I am amazed at how sweet he has been today, never complaining about how uncomfortable he has been or how exhausted he is. But, that is the way he is.He does not get upset easily, and even when he feels like being a grump, he chooses to be patient, kind, and even-tempered.
It is a choice, a habit, his true character.
When we arrived at our hotel to check in, we walked in the middle of a tirade from a disgruntled customer who apparently had his credit card rejected because he wasn’t the authorized user. He was very rude, loud, upset, inconsiderate, and embarrassing as a fellow member of the human race. He essentially raked the sweet front desk associate over the coals.
As I listened more closely, I realized that the problem was that he and several church members were checking in to the hotel with a church credit card, and none of them were authorized users. I understood his frustration, but not the way he chose to handle it. It is not wrong to be frustrated when we are inconvenienced, but we never have the license to treat others with such disrespect. What kind of impression do you think this young lady had of Christians at this point?
A gentleman standing nearby approached her once the ill-mannered group left and apologized to her for the way that man had represented church folks. She was very sweet and said she did not allow that confrontation to offend her or dissuade her impression of Christians.
My daughter said to me after observing the clash, “You need to write about that on your blog. People need to realize how important their behavior is in public when they profess to be Christians. We represent Christ, and we need to be aware of that at all times.”
Just then, my mind went back to those struggling first years on my own when I waited tables while in college. Very often, the waitresses would get Christian tracts instead of tips, and some church members and ministers would be the most demanding and rude customers we had. Even some of the most well known ministers in the community were some of the worst customers, perhaps not realizing the nasty impression they were making on the employees. Sundays were the most dreaded days because many in the church crowd were just plain obnoxious and unbearable. I would be so embarrassed at their behavior because I was trying to be a light to my coworkers, but I felt these wolves in sheep’s clothing were making me look bad as well as making God look bad to others. As you can imagine, I sure got an earful about how the other waitresses felt about Christians after an especially difficult day of work. All I can hope is that the many kind and courteous Christians we encountered were enough of an example to redeem the horrible examples of the rest. I especially hope that my life exemplified the character of Christ to those who were watching.
As I reflect even farther back, when my siblings and I were growing up, we used to tease my mom about getting all dressed up and looking her very best every single time she went out of the house. And she acted so sweetly and politely to people in public – like syrup! Is it any wonder her nick name is June Cleaver? She is the kind who would vacuum the house in high heels and pearls. However, she impressed on all of us girls that we must always be mindful of representing Christ when we are in public. Of course to her, that also meant having our hair fixed, our make-up just right, and our clothes in good shape. What kind of ambassador of Christ would we be in wrinkled, frumpy clothing?
Most importantly, however, was that she taught us that words, attitudes, and actions are even more important than appearance. She often said, “Pretty is as pretty does.” She made a lasting impression on me how to treat people and the importance of representing the Lord at all times. She explained to us that we have the responsibility to show the character of Christ to the world so that the world may know Him. She taught us that the most powerful witness for God is to genuinely live the life.
All of this thinking brought me back to the man at the front desk and then to my husband. What polar opposites I had witnessed! My husband approached the young lady at the front desk and spoke so kindly to her. He complimented her on her professionalism. He treated her as he does just about everyone we encounter wherever we go. He has made it a habit of encouraging and complimenting others, tipping very generously, anonymously paying for people’s meals, holding doors, helping people carry packages, allowing someone else to go ahead of him in line, and other unselfish acts of service. Most importantly, however, he controls his words and his temper.
I have seen him handle many negative situations, whether in business, church matters, or even with our children, in which he thoughtfully and deliberately communicated with clarity and firmness, yet remained polite and kind. He even knows how to reprimand or fire employees with kindness and compassion. He says you can hold an employee accountable without being ugly. That one always amazes me! He believes in speaking the truth in love and with self-control in all situations, because He knows that he is a representative of Christ wherever he goes. He knows that when people see Him, they will have an impression of God through his actions and attitude.
As I reflect on all of these examples, I must examine my own life as I also encourage all of you to do the same. If we are going to claim the name of Christ, that means that we represent all of who He is. When others see us, do they see an accurate image of Him? Or, like a fun house mirror, so they see a distortion that accomplishes nothing but turning people away and embarrassing the rest of the body of Christ? Let us be mindful of our manners, words, attitudes, behavior, etc. Let the love of Christ shine brightly through our lives! The world is watching.
“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:16 NLT
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!” Matthew 5:13-16a MSG
