30 CIA Christian
Steve has attended church every Saturday since he got baptized ten years ago. He has faithfully participated in Sabbath school and also leads the praise team with his beautiful singing voice in worship service. However, once Steve leaves church, he goes out to party with his friends. Steve will go to bars or clubbing Saturday nights with his friends, smoking, drinking, flirting with girls, and having a good old time. In fact, in can be said that Steve basically lives a worldly life six days a week, but turns into a good Christian when he comes to church.
One Friday night while Steve was drinking with his friends, the conversation became a little more serious than normal. The discussion veered towards the topic of religion and Steve shared some things he learned during a recent Sabbath school class. However, Steve was shocked by his friends' response. They started laughing at him!
"Steve, you must have just watched something on TV recently. I don't think you have come up with that on your own!" joked one friend.
"Don't tell me that you're a Christian, Steve! I've never seen you pray in my entire life!" another friend playfully commented.
Steve protested that he really was a Christian, but none of his friends believed him. At that moment Steve realized how insulted he felt when his friends told him that they did not believe that was a Christian at all. Steve felt a pang of shame grip him as it dawned on him that for the past ten years he was being a secret Christian, being faithful only one day a week, but going undercover and living a life as "one of the guys" the other six days of the week.
One of the worst insults to a Christian is being told by someone that they never knew that you were a Christian. Jesus said that we need to shine our light to the world and that a lamp hidden uner a bowl is no good. Likewise, we need to be open about our faith and never be ashamed or try to hide the fact that we are Christians, that we are people who accepted Jesus' gift of salvation and that we proudly proclaim Him as Lord to all that would hear us.
- Recommended reading: Luke 11:33-36
