In today’s polarized society, it is easy to hide our light under a bushel when it comes to our Christian faith. Often, we steer clear of “rocking the boat” or “making waves” by introducing faith into our outward daily lives and conversations, forgetting that the one who calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee gave everything for each one of us, that we might have eternal life.
Matthew 5: 14-16 gives guidance on confidently sharing our faith: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
As a new year begins, how can we show faith and certainty in Christ to a world that so desperately needs it?
1. Use This Phrase Often
Before I became a believer, there was something Christians would say to me that was always welcome—in fact, it made me feel cared about and valued, even though I was a doubter who was often impatient with Christians and their “simplistic” beliefs. It was the short but powerful phrase, “I’ll be praying for you.” With this declaration, a Christian wasn’t making any demands on me, but was communicating, I am a person who prays, I have listened carefully to what you have shared, and your concerns are worthy of action on my part. Today, I say this sentence often to people, and I always make sure I do, in fact, carve out space to pray for that person and their particular needs.
The Bible guides us in the importance of praying for others: Romans 8:26 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” James 5:16 reminds us about the power in prayer: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Prayer is the most important tool we have as Christians. Being in daily communication with the Lord and bringing our cares and the cares of others to Him is a joy and a necessity as a believer. Noted theologian and author C.S. Lewis wrote, “In worship, God imparts Himself to us.” When we tell someone we will be praying for them, we are also sharing something important; we have a belief system that we do, in fact, believe is the truth; why would we bother praying, otherwise? We believe God hears us when we pray, and cares about what we say to Him. We are being confident Christians when we use this simple phrase—and imitating Christ’s love in the process.
2. Make Christ Your Argument on Issues
We are living two ways simultaneously in today’s fractured, polarized world—we are both in an age of logic and an age of irrationality, almost to the point of absurdity. We turn to science and reason for answers, but then do things that are most un-scientific and unreasonable, like ignoring the irrationality of killing a viable baby in late-term abortion, or denying biological genders when, in fact, we start life as either male or female. Christ can bring order to chaos and offers love and mercy when all around us lurks confusion and strife.
It’s time we tell people this.
When discussing issues such as abortion, gender ideologies, effective care for the poor, and a host of other problems of our day, it is okay to claim Christ and our Christian teachings as the reason you feel the way you do. It is perfectly fine to say, “My faith guides me on this issue”— after all, just look at how far “logic” has gotten us! Christians sometimes hide or de-emphasize their Christian faith when talking about politics or pressing societal concerns, when in fact, it is faith that is our perfect compass, our infallible guide. You will get pushback, most certainly, but it is still important to be able to say, out loud, that your Christianity is your North Star, guiding you to truth. You may not win the argument, but God hears you and approves. Remember, you have every right to claim your faith in front of anyone and everyone—and there may be someone who desperately needs to hear what you have to say!
As the apostle Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 4:2, “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”
3. Become an Apologist for Christianity
Importantly, we must also defend our faith, and our right to worship and assemble as people of God. This is what Christian apologists do; they defend the faith from objections, and past apologists include such lions of the faith as Thomas Aquinas, Tertullian, Augustine of Hippo, and the apostle Paul. Society is all too willing to banish religion from the public square—particularly Christianity.
A 2020 article in The Federalist titled, “Chris Cuomo: Get in the Closet, Serious Christians, Your Kind Aren’t Welcome in Public Life,” shared how this plays out in the media. Now-disgraced CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, speaking to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney-Barrett’s Catholic faith, railed, “It doesn’t matter if you have faith; it matters about your positions. Fine, you’re a Christian. I’m a Christian.”
The author, Carina Benton, notes later in the piece, “If Christians cross the line and elevate their faith to a status greater than community service for some sort of nongovernmental organization, however, they’d better watch out. If they become Christian warriors, not merely social justice warriors, there will be tough questions.”
Again, we have every right to be faithful Christians who do not hide our beliefs, but celebrate, defend, and live by them. 2 Timothy 4:2 instructs, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction,” while 2 Corinthians 10:5 asserts, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Our actions, too, can show we are committed Christians; when we attend church, hold baptisms, host prayer meetings, and other Christian activities, we announce without words that we are living our faith boldly and purposefully.
Today more than ever it is important to live confidently as Christians, showing that we love Christ, love our Lord, and are unashamed to be counted among the faithful. While the urge to fit in and go along is human and often quite strong, with God’s help we can use our time here on Earth to encourage others to seek God, and to speak candidly about why we care so deeply about the world, and the souls in it: we know that God sees, God loves, and God saves.
Or, as 1 John 4:19 puts it: “We love because he first loved us.”
Photo Credit: Phil Thep/Unsplash
Deirdre Reilly is a writer and editor, and her commentary has appeared on various websites including CBN.com, FoxNews.com, and others. Her new book, “The Pretend Christian: Traveling Beyond Denomination to the True Jesus,” details her own personal journey through doubt and fear into true belief. You can connect with Deirdre via www.deirdrereilly.com, or follow her on Twitter at @deirdrewrites.