57 If You Want to Be Somebody...
Marty wanted to be an airline pilot. He went to flight school and studied rigorously the ins and outs of an airplane. He went through hundreds of hours of virtual flight training and hundreds more hours of instructor-guided real flight training. After many years of hard work, Marty eventually became licensed as a pilot.
Vivian wanted to be be a doctor. She studied hard in college and successfully applied to medical school. She studied many courses during her years in medical school, including anatomy, physiology, and had to learn about so many disease states and how to treat them. She had to internship for a couple of years afterwards and went on to advanced training to specialize in pediatrics. After years of hard work, Vivian eventually became licensed as a doctor.
Albert wanted to be known as a good Christian and a strong believer. However, he barely touched his Bible during the week. He only prayed for about 30 seconds or less before he went to bed at night. Most of his co-workers didn't know he was Christian and he tended to party a little too much. Whenever he was questioned on his religious beliefs, Albert would stammer and either try to change the subject or tell the questioner he would ask his pastor and get back with an answer later.
If you want to be somebody, you have to do something first. Just as people who want to pilots or doctors must undergo rigorous training, if you want to be a strong believer, you must study your Bible daily and pray daily to keep your connection to God. You need to be able to understand what you believe in and be able to share the Gospel message with others. If you you want to be known as a Christian, you must live your life centered in Christ, such that people can tell you are Christian without you saying a word. Christianity is not a spectator sport.
- Recommended reading: Ecclesiastes 11:4, 1 Timothy 4:8
