Live Your Faith Every Minute

Live your faith every minute of every day so that all who see you know and see that you are a child of mine.

So what does that really mean? Living our faith can’t only happen during the good times; it must happen throughout the entirety of our lives. Good or bad, we must do what we are called to do. 

As a Christian, this means not only loving those who are like us and whose company we enjoy. It means loving everyone, including those who are different, who make us uncomfortable, or who we perceive as our enemy. 

People have told me this is not possible, and how could I know? I will tell you this much. I have had to love my enemy up close and personal. A man who took advantage of, and got my son addicted to drugs.

How can this be done? There is anger and pain, so loving him is difficult. I can only tell you the way I can do this, and it is through forgiveness. While forgiveness is as much for me as it is for them, when truly given, the pain associated with the acts of indecency and cruelty can be viewed without emotion. It allowed me to see that this person had horrible things done to him, so he did what he knew. I had to ask God to help me with this, and it took a while, but I was able to do it.

The other simple fact is that he too is a child of God, albeit a lost one. I have to try to look at what Jesus would do. When I do this, I realize Jesus already gave us the answer when he restored the ear of the soldier, a man who would take him ultimately to his death. 

Living our faith also means we are to be kind, show compassion, and above all else, love. It means helping those less fortunate than us. I watch homeless people continuing to be removed from their spaces because they make others uncomfortable. We should be finding ways to help and to heal. The fact that people are perturbed or uncomfortable says a lot. I challenge this…what would you do or say to Jesus if he stood beside you and asked why you didn’t help.

There is a stigma associated with homelessness, but the reality is that more and more people are losing jobs and their homes, ending up on the streets because they can’t afford to pay bills even though they work. 

Yes, many homeless people have mental health issues, and addiction is a factor, but none of those people woke up as kids saying I think I want to live on the streets, sleeping in the rain, and the cold. 

I have a family member on the streets, and while I can’t make the move for him, I do offer him a space to stay when he is sober, a clean shower, clothes and food. We can offer food at any time to those living on the streets. We can also offer an ear and just listen. Food banks, shelters, and places that offer food to the homeless all need volunteers. There are many ways to help if one truly desires to.

Living our faith is not always easy, but the reward is greater than any money or status we can accumulate here on earth. Live your faith every minute of every day so that all who see you know and see that you are a child of mine.

Free inspirational or motivational posts can be found on the inspirational page of Leslie’s website.