Your Passion Says It All

My mother once said to me, “Vicki, it’s a good thing you are a preschool director, otherwise, people would think you are weird.” That was said after I explained one year what I was going to do in celebration of Halloween.

It’s no secret to those who know me that I am just a big kid at heart. I love anything to do with having fun in celebrating holidays. And that brings to mind an issue of faith.

People don’t know that I love celebrating holidays because I tell them or forward an email. They know because of what I do to show my interest through actions. The same, I hope, could be said of my faith.

I don’t believe that people are truly converted to any religion by force or guilt. Jesus certainly didn’t teach that way, and as far as I know, I’ve never heard of leaders of other religions successfully doing so either. You can make people act a certain way, but you cannot change hearts unless the spirit within the person is willing. I trust that God is the one who makes that happen.

When the right opening occurs, I am happy to share my faith, but I also hope that my actions are conduits for those opportunities. I am far from perfect, and I try very hard not to commit egregious errors that will make others question the Christian way of life. After all, the Bible is quite adamant about not leading others astray.

 
Matthew 18:6 states: “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” OUCH! That assumes, of course, someone is already a believer, but I am guessing that if one’s actions push a potential believer away, that isn’t too good either.

So, show your passion for what drives you, but don’t ask me if I am saved. Don’t send an email to me that tries to guilt me into passing it on in order to show my belief. Instead, show me how you live. Give me inspiration to live my life better. Let your actions speak for the truth, and then celebrate life. That’s what I hope to do.

Have a great and safe Halloween!